SHIP
The State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) provides free health insurance counseling for people with Medicare. SHIP is not affiliated with any insurance company or agency and does not sell insurance. Our SHIP counselors have completed intensive training to offer you free and objective assistance in complete confidence.
Medicare's Open Enrollment Period is the time of year when you can make changes to your plan, leave your plan entirely in favor of one you believe is better, or if you are satisfied with your current coverage, leave your plan exactly as it is. In 2016, the Open Enrollment Period will be October 15th through December 7th. All changes made during that time will become effective on January 1st, 2017.
To contact a SHIP counselor call our Aging & Disability Resource Center at 1-800-742-9002.
2016 Income and Resource Limits
This chart shows countable income and resource limits for various assistance programs. Each program has its own criteria for what is counted as income or resources and what is excluded.
|
Program |
Income Limit |
Resource Limit |
|
SSA Extra Help Full Subsidy |
Single $1,344* Married $1,813* |
Single $8,780 Married $13,930 |
|
SSA Extra Help Partial Subsidy |
Single $1,491* Married $2,012* |
Single $13,640 Married $27,250 |
|
Medicaid |
Single $1,001 Married $1,348 |
Single $2,000 Married $3,000 |
|
QMB-Qualified Medicare Beneficiary |
Single $1,491 Married $2,012 |
Single $7,280 Married $10,930 |
|
SLMB-Specified Low Income Medicare Beneficiary QI-Qualified Individual |
Single $1,688 / Married $2,278 Single $1,835 / Married $2,477 |
Single $7,280 Married $10,930 |
|
SSI-Supplemental Security Income |
Single $753** Married $1,120** |
Single $2,000 Married $3,000 |
The above amounts are subject to change each year when new Federal Poverty Level (FPL) and Cost of Living Allowances (COLA) are announced. This chart includes SSI income limits based on the "no 2016 COLA." Eligibility limits for other programs will be updated when 2016 FPL changes are announced in early 2016.
*SSA's Extra Help income limits do not affect beneficiaries who are deemed eligible for Extra Help because they receive SSI, Medicaid, QMB, SLMB or QI benefits. Therefore, beneficiaries with SLMB or QI status are deemed eligible for Extra Help even though their incomes are above SSA's Extra Help limits shown above.
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