Extra Help Eligibility Checker

This is a three-question screener for Extra Help, the federal program that helps pay Medicare prescription drug plan premiums, deductibles and copays for people with limited income and savings. You choose single or married and living together, enter your rough monthly income before taxes, and enter your savings and investments — bank accounts, CDs, stocks, IRAs. Your home, one vehicle and personal belongings do not count. The page also prints the current published income and asset limits with the year and the source they came from.

It returns one of three answers: you look likely to qualify; you are close to the line, so apply anyway; or you are above the published ranges but should still look at your state's Medicare Savings Programs, which use different limits and can pay a Part B premium. It links to the application on ssa.gov, which costs nothing, and to the state Medicaid office locator.

What it will not do is decide. Only Social Security can determine eligibility, and its counting is more generous than this quick check: some earnings are excluded, limits rise with dependents at home, and Alaska and Hawaii use higher figures. By design the tool never returns a flat no. The screener itself asks for no name or contact details, though optional forms lower on the page do.

Next: apply through Social Security if you are anywhere near the limits, find your state Medicaid office, or ask a licensed agent to walk through both programs in one call.