Medicare by State
Free Medicare Help Missouri: Missouri SHIP Counseling and 2026 Savings
Missouri SHIP, called Missouri CLAIM until 2023, gives free, unbiased Medicare counseling at 1-800-390-3330 through about 98 community partners. The state’s Medicare Savings Program can pay the $202.90 Part B premium for one person with income up to $1,796 a month and resources under $9,950.
- Missouri SHIP has counseled Missourians since 1993; it is nonprofit, sells nothing and charges nothing.
- Missouri’s 2026 monthly limits for one person are $1,330 for QMB, $1,596 for SLMB1 and $1,796 for SLMB2 (QI-1), effective April 1, 2026.
- The Medicare Savings Program resource limit in Missouri is $9,950 for one person and $14,910 for two.
- At the QI-1 level, Missouri lets you choose between Part B premium help and MO HealthNet coverage.
Table of Contents
Free Medicare help Missouri residents can use comes from two places. Missouri SHIP, known until 2023 as Missouri CLAIM, gives free, unbiased Medicare counseling through trained volunteers and about 98 community partners. The Department of Social Services’ Family Support Division runs the Medicare Savings Program, which can pay your Part B premium and, at the lowest income level, your deductibles and coinsurance. This guide covers how to reach a counselor, the 2026 limits, how to apply online or by mail, and how to report fraud, with a worked example of the savings.
Free Medicare help Missouri offers: the programs at a glance
| Program | Run by | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Missouri SHIP (formerly CLAIM) | Missouri Connections for Health, funded through the Department of Commerce & Insurance | Free, unbiased, confidential Medicare counseling |
| Medicare Savings Program (QMB, SLMB, QI-1) | Department of Social Services, Family Support Division (MO HealthNet) | Pays the Part B premium; QMB also pays Part A premium, deductibles and coinsurance |
| Extra Help (Part D Low-Income Subsidy) | Social Security and Medicare | Lowers drug plan costs |
| Missouri Senior Medicare Patrol | Care Connection for Aging Services | Helps you prevent, detect and report Medicare fraud |
If you remember Missouri CLAIM, you’re in the right place. The Missouri SHIP website says the program changed its name from Missouri CLAIM to Missouri SHIP in 2023, and the old missouriclaim.org address now forwards there.
Missouri SHIP: free Medicare counseling since 1993
Missouri SHIP says it has helped Missourians with Medicare since 1993. Its site describes free, unbiased and confidential counseling and education, and it is plain about what it isn’t: it is not an insurance company, it is nonprofit, and it doesn’t sell anything or charge for its services.
Funding comes through a federal Administration for Community Living grant administered by the Missouri Department of Commerce & Insurance, and the counseling itself is provided by Missouri Connections for Health, a nonprofit. Volunteers are trained to become certified Medicare counselors and get ongoing updates.
Counselors help you understand Medicare and choose a plan. The events page sorts help into four kinds:
- Enrollment sessions where you meet a counselor during an enrollment period, such as Open Enrollment, which ends December 7.
- Educational talks on Medicare basics.
- Special Series, a six-part program on retirement and Medicare.
- Community appearances at festivals and health fairs.
Good times to seek free Medicare help Missouri counselors give: a few months before you turn 65, before December 7, when a plan stops renewing, and when you want to be screened for cost help.
How to reach a counselor. Call 1-800-390-3330, the number Missouri SHIP prints on its site and that the national SHIP Technical Assistance Center lists. You can also use the contact form at missouriship.org.
Local counseling runs through Community Partners, organizations with agreements to provide counselors or serve as local Medicare counseling sites. The list has about 98 organizations, including:
- Aging Best in Columbia.
- Cardinal Ritter Senior Services in St. Louis.
- Don Bosco Centers in Kansas City.
- Ozarks Community Hospital in Springfield.
- Joyce Raye Patterson 50+ Activity Center in St. Joseph.
- Hermann Area District Hospital, Clay County Public Health Center in Liberty, and Ray County Library in Richmond.
The partner page doesn’t list individual phone numbers. It asks you to call 1-800-390-3330, and the statewide line books you with a partner near you. That single number is the front door to free Medicare help Missouri counselors give.
2026 Medicare Savings Program Missouri income and resource limits
The Family Support Division publishes its limits in Eligibility Standards for Non-MAGI Programs (October 2026). Missouri labels the middle and top levels SLMB1 and SLMB2:
| Level | One person, per month | Two people, per month | Resources (1 / 2 people) |
|---|---|---|---|
| QMB (Qualified Medicare Beneficiary) | $1,330 | $1,804 | $9,950 / $14,910 |
| SLMB1 (Specified Low-Income Medicare Beneficiary) | $1,596 | $2,164 | $9,950 / $14,910 |
| SLMB2 or QI-1 (Qualified Individual) | $1,796 | $2,435 | $9,950 / $14,910 |
The income limits took effect April 1, 2026, and the resource limits January 1, 2026. Missouri keeps an asset test. Those MSP limits are higher than the $6,220.50 resource maximum the same chart lists for MO HealthNet spend down, effective July 1, 2026.
Figures are from the Missouri Department of Social Services’ Eligibility Standards for Non-MAGI Programs (10/2026) and are shown for illustration only. They are not quotes or offers, and they can change. Confirm current numbers with the Family Support Division or a licensed agent.
What each level pays, and the QI-1 choice
The DSS seniors and disabled page and its MSP flyer describe three programs:
- QMB helps pay Medicare Part A and Part B premiums, your deductible and your coinsurance. It can be combined with MO HealthNet.
- SLMB helps pay your Part B premium. It can also be combined with MO HealthNet.
- QI-1 works differently in Missouri: you choose whether the program pays your Part B premium or you receive MO HealthNet coverage instead.
That QI-1 choice is unusual for the Medicare Savings Program Missouri runs, and it is worth talking through with a counselor before you decide, because the better option depends on your medical bills.
The flyer says that if you qualify, the Family Support Division will mail you an identification card to show each time you get medical services.
Extra Help. Medicare.gov says you get Extra Help automatically with full Medicaid, a Medicare Savings Program or SSI. Above the QI-1 limit, you can apply through Social Security: 2026 limits are $23,940 in income and $18,090 in resources for one person, or $32,460 and $36,100 for a couple. For 2027, copays run up to $5.80 for generics and $14.40 for brand-name drugs. See our Medicare Extra Help guide and Medicare Part D guide.
Hypothetical example: what free Medicare help Missouri offers is worth
Hypothetical example. Two neighbors in Springfield each live alone with Original Medicare, have savings under $9,950, and live only on Social Security. We use the 2026 Part B premium of $202.90 a month and $283 deductible from the CMS fact sheet, which the Missouri chart also lists. We chose incomes that stay in the same band with or without any income disregard.
Betty gets $1,300 a month, under the $1,330 QMB limit.
- Part B premium paid: $202.90 a month, or $202.90 × 12 = $2,434.80 a year.
- Part B deductible covered: $283.
- Total: $2,434.80 + $283 = $2,717.80 a year, plus Medicare coinsurance.
Hank gets $1,780 a month, above the $1,596 SLMB1 limit but under the $1,796 SLMB2 or QI-1 limit. If he chooses the Part B option, the program pays $202.90 a month, or $2,434.80 a year.
Both would get Extra Help. This is an illustration, not an eligibility decision; only the Family Support Division can decide.
How to apply for the Medicare Savings Program Missouri runs
The DSS seniors and disabled page lists these routes for an MSP-only application:
- Online with the Application for Medicare Savings Program (form IM-1MSP) on the state forms portal.
- Download and print the IM-1MSP in English or Spanish, then upload it at mydssupload.mo.gov.
- Mail to Family Support Division, P.O. Box 2700, Jefferson City, MO 65102. The DSS apply page also lists fax 573-526-9400.
- In person at your local FSD Resource Center.
Already on MO HealthNet? Add MSP by filing a Change Report online and selecting “Request changes to your MO HealthNet coverage.” To apply for MO HealthNet and MSP together, use the full application at mydssapp.mo.gov. Questions go to 855-FSD-INFO (855-373-4636), according to the MSP flyer.
The flyer notes you’ll need to verify what you own and your monthly income. A SHIP counselor can help you gather it at no cost, one more piece of free Medicare help Missouri residents often overlook.
Reporting fraud, and Missouri SHIP vs a licensed agent
The Missouri Senior Medicare Patrol, administered by Care Connection for Aging Services, west central Missouri’s area agency on aging, helps people protect, detect and report fraud, errors and abuse. Protect your Medicare number, review your Medicare Summary Notice, and report concerns at 1-888-515-6565, the number also listed by the national SMP locator. Medicare.gov also takes reports at 1-800-MEDICARE.
| Question | Missouri SHIP | Licensed agent (such as Octans) |
|---|---|---|
| Cost to you | Free | No fee to you |
| Sells insurance | No; not an insurance company | Yes, from carriers it represents |
| Help with MSP and Extra Help | A core service | Can explain and refer |
| Life or final expense insurance | Outside its scope | Yes |
Many people use SHIP for an unbiased review, then an agent for quotes. See how we get paid.
Checklist: using free Medicare help Missouri provides
- Call Missouri SHIP at 1-800-390-3330 to book with a local partner.
- Compare your income with $1,330, $1,596 and $1,796 for one person.
- Check savings against $9,950 for one person or $14,910 for two.
- File the IM-1MSP online, by mail or at an FSD Resource Center.
- If you land in QI-1, weigh the Part B payment against MO HealthNet coverage.
- Check your windows with our Medicare enrollment calculator; if your income is high, try the IRMAA calculator.
- Report suspicious bills to Missouri SMP at 1-888-515-6565.
Free Medicare help Missouri: frequently asked questions
What happened to Missouri CLAIM?
It is now Missouri SHIP. The program says it changed its name in 2023; the phone number, 1-800-390-3330, is the same statewide line.
Is Missouri SHIP really free?
Yes. It says it is nonprofit, not an insurance company, and doesn’t sell anything or charge for services.
What is the QMB income limit in Missouri for 2026?
$1,330 a month for one person and $1,804 for two, effective April 1, 2026.
Does Missouri have an asset limit for the Medicare Savings Program?
Yes: $9,950 for one person and $14,910 for two, effective January 1, 2026.
What is SLMB2 in Missouri?
It is Missouri’s label for QI-1, the top level, with a limit of $1,796 a month for one person. You choose between Part B premium help and MO HealthNet coverage.
Where do I report Medicare fraud in Missouri?
Missouri Senior Medicare Patrol at 1-888-515-6565, or 1-800-MEDICARE.
Talk with a licensed agent after you get free help
Octans Insurance is an independent agency based in Massachusetts. Our licensed agents compare plans from 120+ carriers, at no fee to you, and we’re glad to work alongside your SHIP counselor. Call (617) 935-9220. For free, unbiased counseling, call Missouri SHIP at 1-800-390-3330 or 1-800-MEDICARE. Planning for family too? See our Missouri life insurance guide.
Keep Reading: Related Guides
- Life insurance in Missouri
- Medicare Extra Help
- Medicare IRMAA calculator
- Medicare enrollment calculator
- Medicare Advantage plans in Missouri (2027)
- Missouri Medicaid burial rules
- Unclaimed life insurance in Missouri
We do not offer every plan available in your area. Please contact Medicare.gov or 1-800-MEDICARE to get information on all of your options.
This article is for general information and is not tax, legal, or medical advice.
About examples and tools: Hypothetical examples, sample rates, calculators and quizzes on this site are for general educational and illustrative purposes only. They are not quotes, offers of coverage, or guarantees of eligibility, approval, price or benefits, and they are not legal, tax, financial or medical advice. The insurance company decides eligibility and price; Medicare rules are set by CMS and the Social Security Administration. Octans Insurance is not connected with or endorsed by the U.S. government or the federal Medicare program.
Questions About Your Medicare Costs?
Start with a free, no-obligation quote review with a licensed Octans agent.
(617) 935-9220 | life@octansinsurance.com