What am I leaving on the table?
Three questions. We'll show how much an eligible Medicare beneficiary in Wisconsin can save each year by enrolling in Medicare Savings Programs (MSP) and Extra Help (LIS) — the two biggest sources of dollars low-income seniors leave unclaimed. Nationally, ~6 million people are eligible but not enrolled.
Include Social Security, pensions, wages. Skip SSI and VA benefits.
What is “% of Federal Poverty Level”?
The Federal Poverty Level (FPL) is a yearly income figure HHS publishes for each household size — used by Medicare Savings Programs, Extra Help, Medicaid, and ACA subsidies to decide who qualifies. For 2026 in the continental US, the FPL is $15,650/yr for one person and $21,150/yr for a couple.
Programs set their cutoffs as a percent of FPL. So “135% FPL” (the QI ceiling for MSP) means “income up to 35% above the FPL line for your household size.” “150% FPL” (the Extra Help ceiling) is 50% above. We translate your income into that percentage so you can see where you land.
The figure counts gross income (before tax) but not assets, home equity, or retirement balances — MSP and Extra Help apply separate asset tests on top.
You may be leaving money on the table
At about 128% of FPL, an eligible Medicare beneficiary could save roughly:
- Medicare Part B premium paid by Medicaid$2,478
- Part D prescription plan premium (Extra Help)$468
- Part D deductible waived (Extra Help)$615
- Lower prescription copays (Extra Help)$600
- Specified Low-Income Medicare Beneficiary (SLMB) (Part B premium)
- Extra Help (LIS) — full — Medicaid/MSP qualifying enrollees are automatically enrolled, no separate application
Estimate based on CMS 2026 Medicare cost parameters (Part B premium $206.50/mo, Part D deductible cap $615). Actual savings depend on your prescriptions, hospital use, and the program asset test. DHS and SSA make the final call.
Asset tests apply. MSP has its own resource cap (~$9,660 single, $14,470couple in 2026); Extra Help has a separate cap (~$17,600 single, $35,130 couple in 2025). Income alone doesn't guarantee approval — DHS and SSA make the final call.
Wisconsin specifics. Apply for MSP through access.wisconsin.gov. Apply for Extra Help through SSA — the application is the same form whether you're a new applicant or someone who got denied before.
Want a deeper screen? The full WI Medicaid screener checks BadgerCare+, EBD Medicaid, SeniorCare, and other programs in addition to MSP and LIS.