Free Medicare Help Maryland: SHIP Counseling, Savings Programs and SPDAP

Free Medicare help Maryland residents can use comes in two forms: free advice and real money. The advice comes from the State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP), run by the Maryland Department of Aging, with an office serving every county and Baltimore City. The money comes from the Medicare Savings Programs, which Maryland Medicaid runs, from federal Extra Help, and from the state’s own Senior Prescription Drug Assistance Program (SPDAP). This guide covers phone numbers, the 2026 limits, what each program pays, and how to apply.

Free Medicare help Maryland offers: the programs at a glance

Each program does a different job. Counseling helps you choose and apply. The cost programs lower what you pay each month.

You can use several at once. A SHIP counselor is the easiest way to check all of them in one sitting, and that counseling is itself free Medicare help Maryland offers at no cost to you.

Maryland SHIP Medicare counseling: who they are and how to call

Maryland SHIP Medicare counseling is the state’s version of a federal program. The Department of Aging’s SHIP page puts it plainly: SHIP doesn’t sell insurance, and it works for you. Counselors give free, one-on-one help with Medicare enrollment, costs, plan comparisons, appeals and fraud reporting. They also screen people for Medicare Savings Program eligibility.

The statewide lines are:

• Toll-free: 1-800-243-3425
• Main line: 410-767-1100
• Maryland Relay: 7-1-1

The state says Maryland has 19 SHIP offices that give one-on-one help. Each county and Baltimore City has a local number, so you can call close to home. A few examples from the Department of Aging’s list:

Find your own county on the state’s page rather than calling the first number you see. If you’re not sure, call 1-800-243-3425 and ask to be connected. Good times to book Maryland SHIP Medicare counseling are a few months before you turn 65, before Open Enrollment ends on December 7, and any time money gets tight.

2026 Medicare Savings Program Maryland limits

The Medicare Savings Program Maryland runs has three main levels. The Maryland Medical Assistance Program’s 2026 Dual Eligible Standards list these monthly limits:

The schedule notes that the $20 is the monthly SSI income disregard, so it is already built into these figures. It also lists a fourth program, QDWI, for certain working people with disabilities, with its own limits.

Maryland still has an asset test for these programs, unlike some states that dropped it. The limit is $9,950 for one person or $14,910 for a couple. The Department of Health’s Medicare Savings Programs page says your income and assets must be below the program’s limits, and that the state decides which program you qualify for when you apply.

Figures are from the Maryland Medical Assistance Program’s 2026 Dual Eligible Standards and CMS as of October 15, 2026, and are shown for illustration only. They are not quotes or offers, and they can change. Confirm current numbers with Maryland Medicaid, your local department of social services or a licensed agent.

What each level pays. The Maryland Department of Human Services’ medical assistance page calls these programs the Medicare Buy-In, designed to protect low-income Medicare beneficiaries from the costs of Medicare coverage. Here is what each level does:

• QMB: the state Medicaid program pays your Part B premium and your Medicare cost sharing, such as deductibles and coinsurance. In 2026 that means the $202.90 monthly Part B premium and the $283 Part B deductible, per the CMS fact sheet. The Department of Health adds that the programs can help with Part A premiums too.
• SLMB: pays only the Part B premium.
• QI: also pays the Part B premium, for people with income a little above the SLMB limit.

Every level also brings Extra Help with drug costs automatically, according to Medicare.gov. That is one reason the Medicare Savings Program Maryland offers is worth checking even if you think the premium savings are small.

The gaps between levels are narrow. Only $266 a month separates the individual QMB and SLMB limits, and $200 separates SLMB and QI. A cost-of-living raise can move you from one level to the next, so ask to be rechecked each year.

Extra Help and Maryland SPDAP: help with drug costs

Extra Help. Medicare.gov lists 2026 Extra Help limits of $23,940 in yearly income and $18,090 in resources for one person, or $32,460 and $36,100 for a married couple. For 2027, it lists copays of up to $5.80 per generic drug and $14.40 per brand-name drug. People with full Medicaid and QMB pay no more than $4.90 per covered drug. You can apply online through Social Security or by calling 1-800-772-1213 (TTY 1-800-325-0778). Our Medicare Extra Help guide covers the details.

Maryland SPDAP. The Senior Prescription Drug Assistance Program is Maryland’s own drug premium subsidy. Its official site says International Software Systems Inc. runs it for the Maryland Department of Health. To qualify, you must have lived in Maryland for at least six months, have Medicare, and have income at or below 300% of the Federal Poverty Level.

The program’s subsidies page says that for 2027, Maryland SPDAP will pay up to $100 a month toward a member’s Medicare drug plan premium. You must be enrolled in an approved drug plan or Medicare Advantage plan. The same page says there is no SPDAP coverage gap subsidy for 2026. The SPDAP line is 1-800-551-5995.

Extra Help and Maryland SPDAP fill different gaps. Extra Help reaches people with modest income and savings. Maryland SPDAP reaches further up the income scale but only helps with the plan premium. Our Medicare Part D guide explains how drug plans work.

Hypothetical example: what free Medicare help Maryland offers could be worth

Hypothetical example. Two widows in Baltimore County each have Original Medicare and a Part D plan. Neither works. Both have about $7,000 in savings, which is under Maryland’s $9,950 asset limit for one person.

Joan’s Social Security is $1,500 a month before deductions. That is above the $1,350 QMB limit but at or below the $1,616 SLMB limit, so she may qualify for SLMB.

• Part B premium paid for her: $202.90 a month.
• Yearly savings: $202.90 × 12 = $2,434.80.
• Extra Help comes with it. If she takes three generic drugs a month, her 2027 copays could be at most 3 × $5.80 × 12 = $208.80 for the year.

Ruth receives $1,780 a month. That is above the SLMB limit but at or below the $1,816 QI limit. QI pays her Part B premium: $202.90 a month, or $2,434.80 a year. She still pays her own deductible and coinsurance, but she also gets Extra Help.

These are illustrations, not eligibility decisions. Only Maryland Medicaid can decide, and other income or household facts can change the result. Still, free Medicare help Maryland provides can be worth more than $2,400 a year to one person.

How to apply for a Medicare Savings Program in Maryland

The Department of Health says you can apply in person or by mailing an application to your local department of social services. Follow these steps:

1. Get the form. The Department of Health’s page links to the current application on the Department of Human Services website.
2. Gather proof. Have your Social Security award letter, pension statements, bank statements and Medicare card ready, because Maryland checks both income and assets.
3. Submit it. Mail it to, or drop it off at, one of the state’s 24 local departments of social services.
4. Ask questions. The Department of Health lists 1-800-638-3403, Monday to Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. DHS lists 1-800-332-6347 (TTY 1-800-735-2258).
5. Watch your mail. Answer any request for documents quickly and keep copies.

A SHIP counselor can help you fill in the form at no charge, which is often the most useful free Medicare help Maryland residents get. DHS also says you can apply for full Medicaid online at marylandbenefits.gov.

Common reasons people miss out on the Medicare Savings Program Maryland offers include assuming a small pension rules them out, forgetting that the limits change each year, and skipping Part B to save money. Our guide to the Part B late enrollment penalty explains why that last one can cost more later.

Free Medicare help Maryland gives for fraud: the Senior Medicare Patrol

Maryland’s Senior Medicare Patrol is part of the Department of Aging. Its trained counselors offer free, confidential help to spot Medicare scams, review your Medicare statements and report errors. The page says that if you see a suspicious charge or think you’ve been scammed, call your local SMP representative right away. The local SHIP offices listed above also provide SMP counselors.

The national SMP Resource Center lists the Maryland program’s statewide number as 1-800-243-3425, the same line as the Department of Aging.

Medicare.gov says to call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227) to report suspected fraud, or 1-877-7SAFERX (1-877-772-3379) about a Medicare Advantage or drug plan. It warns that Medicare will never call to sell you anything or visit your home, and not to join a plan by phone unless you made the call.

Checklist: getting free Medicare help in Maryland

• Call your county SHIP office, or 1-800-243-3425, and book a counseling session.
• Bring your Medicare card, drug list, doctors’ names, income letters and recent bank statements.
• Compare your gross monthly income with the 2026 QMB, SLMB and QI limits above.
• Check that your countable assets are under $9,950 (one person) or $14,910 (couple).
• Apply through your local department of social services.
• If your income is too high for the Buy-In, apply for Extra Help or Maryland SPDAP.
• Use our Medicare enrollment calculator to check your sign-up window, and our IRMAA calculator if your income is on the high side.
• Review every Medicare Summary Notice and call the SMP if a charge looks wrong.

Free Medicare help Maryland: frequently asked questions

What is the SHIP phone number in Maryland?

The Maryland Department of Aging lists 1-800-243-3425 toll-free and 410-767-1100, with Maryland Relay at 7-1-1. Each county and Baltimore City also has a local SHIP number on the department’s site.

What is the income limit for the Medicare Savings Program in Maryland in 2026?

The 2026 Dual Eligible Standards list $1,350 a month for QMB, $1,616 for SLMB and $1,816 for QI for one person. For couples, the limits are $1,824, $2,184 and $2,455.

Does Maryland have an asset test for the Medicare Savings Programs?

Yes. The 2026 standards list an asset limit of $9,950 for one person and $14,910 for a couple for QMB, SLMB and QI. Ask your local department of social services which assets are not counted.

How much does Maryland SPDAP pay?

The program’s subsidies page says that for 2027, SPDAP will pay up to $100 a month toward a member’s Medicare drug plan premium. There is no SPDAP coverage gap subsidy for 2026.

Is Maryland SHIP counseling really free and unbiased?

Yes. The Department of Aging says SHIP doesn’t sell insurance and works for you. Counseling is free and one-on-one.

Can I get help with life insurance at SHIP?

No. SHIP covers Medicare and related health coverage. For Maryland life insurance rules, see our life insurance Maryland guide.

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 happy to work alongside your SHIP counselor once you know which cost help you qualify for. Call (617) 935-9220. For free, unbiased counseling, call Maryland SHIP at 1-800-243-3425, or call 1-800-MEDICARE.

Keep Reading: Related Guides

• Life insurance in Maryland
• Medicare Extra Help
• Medicare IRMAA calculator
• Medicare enrollment calculator
• Medicare Supplement rates in Maryland
• Medicare Advantage plans in Maryland (2027)
• Unclaimed life insurance in Maryland
• Maryland Medicaid burial rules

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.

Questions About Your Medicare Costs?

Start with a free, no-obligation quote review with a licensed Octans agent.

GET YOUR FREE QUOTE

(617) 935-9220 | life@octansinsurance.com