The Medicare Qualified Disabled and Working Individuals (QDWI) program helps cover the Medicare Part A premium. To qualify, you must meet specific criteria.

Medicare savings programs are state-funded programs that offer financial assistance to low-income Medicare beneficiaries.

The following four types of Medicare savings programs help pay out-of-pocket Medicare costs such as premiums, deductibles, coinsurance, and copayments:

  • The Qualified Disabled and Working Individuals (QDWI) program helps cover Medicare Part A premiums.
  • The Qualified Medicare Beneficiary (QMB) program helps pay Medicare Part A and Part B premiums, deductibles, coinsurance, and copayments.
  • The Specified Low-Income Medicare Beneficiary (SLMB) program helps pay Medicare Part B premiums.
  • The Qualifying Individual (QI) program helps pay Medicare Part B premiums.

To qualify for the QDWI program, you must:

  • meet the income requirements
  • have a disability
  • have returned to work and lost your premium-free Part A coverage
  • be under 65 years of age

In this article, we review eligibility for the Medicare QDWI program and how to apply.

To qualify for the Medicare QDWI program, you must be enrolled in Medicare Part A. If you’re not enrolled in Part A, you can also qualify for Medicare QDWI if you’re eligible to enroll in Part A.

Eligibility requirements for Medicare QDWI programs are the same from state to state. You are eligible to enroll in the Medicare QDWI program in your state if:

  • You have a disability and are under the age of 65 years.
  • You returned to work and lost your Social Security disability benefits and premium-free Medicare Part A.
  • You currently receive no medical assistance from your state.

You must also meet the income and resource requirements to enroll in your state’s Medicare QDWI program. In 2025, those requirements are:

  • Monthly income:
    • an individual monthly income of $5,302 or less
    • a married couple (joint) income of $7,135 or less
  • Resources limit:
    • an individual resource limit of $4,000 or less
    • a married couple (joint) resource limit of $6,000 or less

The “resources” mentioned above include checking accounts, savings accounts, stocks, and bonds, minus up to $1,500 you have set aside for burial expenses.

The income limits are higher in Hawaii and Alaska. This means you may qualify in these states even if your income and financial resources are higher than listed above.

To enroll in the Medicare QDWI program, you must fill out an application through the Medicaid program in your state.

In some states, you can complete an application online through your state’s Department of Insurance website. In others, you need to visit your local Department of Social Services.

You can use Medicare’s tool to narrow down the contact information of the insurance departments in your state.

Finally, if you have trouble applying to your state’s Medicare QDWI program, you can call Medicare directly at 800-MEDICARE (800-633-4227).

Medicare consists of multiple parts that offer different coverage for various medical needs. Here’s a quick breakdown of how the Medicare QDWI program applies to each part of Medicare.

Part A

Medicare Part A is hospital insurance. It covers:

  • inpatient hospital stays
  • home health services
  • short-term skilled nursing facility services
  • hospice care

When you enroll in Medicare Part A, you pay a monthly premium for coverage. The Medicare QDWI program helps pay for this monthly premium.

Part B

Medicare Part B is medical insurance. It covers any services for preventing, diagnosing, and treating medical conditions.

When enrolled in Medicare Part B, you also pay a monthly premium for your coverage. However, the Medicare QDWI program does not apply to the Medicare Part B premium.

You can apply for help with Medicare Part B costs through the Medicare QMB, SLMB, or QI program.

Part C (Medicare Advantage)

Medicare Part C, or Medicare Advantage, is an insurance option offered by private insurance companies that provides similar coverage to Original Medicare. Many Medicare Part C plans also cover prescription drugs (Part D) and vision, dental, and hearing services.

When enrolled in a Medicare Advantage plan, you still pay a monthly premium for your Medicare Part A coverage. The Medicare QDWI program helps pay this cost.

As mentioned, the Medicare QDWI program does not cover your Medicare Part B premium or any other Advantage plan costs. You can apply for other Medicare savings programs if you need help with Part B costs.

Part D

Medicare Part D provides prescription drug coverage. It’s an add-on to Original Medicare that helps cover the cost of prescription drugs.

Although most Medicare prescription drug plans have a monthly premium, the Medicare QDWI program does not cover it.

Medicare Supplement (Medigap)

Medigap is supplemental Medicare insurance. It’s an add-on to Original Medicare that helps cover some out-of-pocket costs associated with your plans.

The Medicare QDWI program does not help cover any Medigap plan premiums. It also does not conflict with any Medigap plans, as no Medigap plans currently cover the Part A premium.

Working Medicare beneficiaries who have trouble meeting monthly Part A premium costs may be eligible to enroll in the Medicare QDWI program.

You may be eligible if you are under 65, have a disability, are still working, and meet low-income requirements.

To learn about enrolling in the QDWI program, visit your local Medicaid or Social Services office for more information about how to apply.

If you need help with other Medicare costs, such as the Part B premium, consider enrolling in one of your state’s other Medicare savings programs.