Medicare by State
Free Medicare Help Pennsylvania: PA MEDI, Savings Programs, PACE and PACENET
PA MEDI gives free, confidential Medicare counseling through Pennsylvania’s 52 Area Agencies on Aging at 1-800-783-7067. DHS Medicare Savings Programs can pay your Part B premium below $1,816 a month, and PACENET covers drugs for single people 65+ with income up to $33,500.
- PA MEDI’s helpline is 1-800-783-7067, Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., and it does not sell insurance.
- DHS lists one-person limits of $1,350 for QMB, under $1,616 for SLMB and under $1,816 for QI-1, with a $9,950 resource limit.
- PACE covers single people 65+ with income of $14,500 or less; PACENET runs from $14,501 to $33,500.
- Apply for Medicare Savings Programs through COMPASS or by calling 1-866-550-4355.
Table of Contents
Free Medicare help Pennsylvania offers is unusually broad. The state has a free counseling program, PA MEDI, with certified counselors in all 52 local Area Agencies on Aging. It has Medicare Savings Programs run by the Department of Human Services (DHS), and it has its own drug programs, PACE and PACENET, for people 65 and older. This guide explains each one with the current official figures, shows how they can stack in a worked example, and lists how to apply and where to report Medicare fraud.
Free Medicare help Pennsylvania offers through PA MEDI
PA MEDI stands for Pennsylvania Medicare Education and Decision Insight. It is the state’s part of the national State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) and is run by the Pennsylvania Department of Aging. The department’s PA MEDI page says all services are free and confidential and are delivered by certified counselors through the 52 local Area Agencies on Aging.
Its counselors help with:
- Original Medicare, Medigap and Medicare Advantage.
- Prescription drug plans and enrollment.
- Medicare notices and billing concerns.
- Financial assistance programs, including the ones in this guide.
- Appeals, long-term care insurance and coordination of benefits.
The page is clear about independence: the program does not sell or recommend Medicare insurance products, agents or brokers.
How to reach PA MEDI. Call the toll-free PA MEDI Helpline at 1-800-783-7067, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., or call the counseling program at your local Area Agency on Aging. The Department of Aging also has an online form to request help understanding and enrolling in Medicare and filing appeals, plus a Medicare programs and events calendar.
Our Pennsylvania life insurance guide covers the state’s Medigap rules, so this page sticks to programs that lower your costs.
Medicare Savings Program Pennsylvania limits
The Medicare Savings Program Pennsylvania offers is part of DHS’s Healthy Horizons coverage. The DHS page on Medicaid for older people and people with disabilities lists what each level pays:
- QMB: Part A and Part B premiums plus Medicare deductibles and coinsurance. A “categorically needy” version also includes Medical Assistance coverage.
- SLMB: the Part B premium only.
- QI-1: the Part B premium only.
DHS lists these monthly limits. They already include the $20 deduction, which DHS adds to the federal poverty figure:
| Program | One person, per month | Two people, per month | Resource limit (1 / 2 people) |
|---|---|---|---|
| QMB (Medicare cost-sharing) | $1,350 | $1,824 | $9,950 / $14,910 |
| QMB (categorically needy, with Medical Assistance) | $1,350 | $1,824 | $2,000 / $3,000 |
| SLMB | Less than $1,616 | Less than $2,184 | $9,950 / $14,910 |
| QI-1 | Less than $1,816 | Less than $2,455 | $9,950 / $14,910 |
Figures are from the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services as of October 2026 and are shown for illustration only. They are not quotes or offers, and they can change. Confirm current numbers with DHS or a licensed agent.
One caution: the DHS page labels its column “2025 Federal Poverty Level,” but the dollar amounts match the 2026 poverty figures. If you are close to a limit, ask DHS or a counselor which set applies. Pennsylvania keeps a resource test for these programs.
Notice the two QMB rows. They share an income limit, but the version that adds full Medical Assistance coverage has a much lower resource limit: $2,000 for one person instead of $9,950. So someone with $6,000 in savings could still get the Medicare Savings Program Pennsylvania offers for cost-sharing, even though those savings are too high for the fuller coverage. When you apply, DHS decides which category fits.
The levels are also close together. Only $266 a month separates the one-person QMB and SLMB limits. A yearly cost-of-living raise can move you up a level, so a past approval or denial doesn’t settle the question. That is one more reason to use the free Medicare help Pennsylvania offers each year.
PACE and PACENET: Pennsylvania’s own drug help
PACE and PACENET, run by the Department of Aging, offer low-cost prescriptions to qualified residents 65 and older. The program page says they work with Medicare Part D and other drug plans, and staff help people sign up for Part D. The state’s application page lists these yearly income limits:
| Program | Single | Married couple (combined) |
|---|---|---|
| PACE | $14,500 or less | $17,700 or less |
| PACENET | $14,501 to $33,500 | $17,701 to $41,500 |
Figures are from the Pennsylvania Department of Aging as of October 2026 and are shown for illustration only. They are not quotes or offers, and they can change. Confirm current numbers with the Department of Aging or a licensed agent.
Other PACE PACENET rules on the state page: you must be 65 or older, a Pennsylvania resident for at least 90 days before applying, and not enrolled in the DHS Medicaid prescription benefit. Income is based on the previous calendar year. If you can’t get PACE PACENET coverage and are 18 or older, the PACE Clearinghouse may help.
Extra Help with Part D costs
Extra Help, the federal Part D Low-Income Subsidy, cuts drug plan premiums, deductibles and copays. Medicare.gov says you get it automatically with full Medicaid, SSI, or a Medicare Savings Program that pays your Part B premium. Otherwise, apply through Social Security. The 2026 limits are $23,940 in yearly income and $18,090 in resources for an individual, or $32,460 and $36,100 for a married couple.
For 2027, Medicare.gov lists copays of up to $5.80 per generic and $14.40 per brand-name drug. Our guides to Medicare Extra Help and Medicare Part D explain how it fits with a drug plan. Because PACE PACENET also works with Part D, ask a counselor how the programs combine for your drugs.
Hypothetical example: SLMB plus PACENET in Erie
Hypothetical example. Walter, 72, lives alone in Erie. His only income is Social Security of $1,500 a month before deductions, or $18,000 a year, and he has $5,000 in savings. He pays the 2026 Part B premium of $202.90 a month, per the CMS fact sheet.
- QMB limit (with the $20 already included): $1,350. Walter’s $1,500 is above it.
- SLMB limit: less than $1,616. Walter is under it.
- Savings of $5,000 are under the $9,950 resource limit.
- Yearly income of $18,000 falls in the PACENET single range of $14,501 to $33,500.
If DHS approves SLMB, the state pays his Part B premium: $202.90 × 12 = $2,434.80 a year. He also gets Extra Help automatically, and he may qualify for PACENET, too. In 2027, three generic prescriptions a month at the Extra Help cap would cost at most 3 × $5.80 × 12 = $208.80 for the year.
This is an illustration, not an eligibility decision. If your income is high, the Medicare IRMAA calculator shows whether you pay more than the standard premium.
How to apply for free Medicare help Pennsylvania programs
- Medicare Savings Programs: DHS’s Medicaid page says you can apply online through COMPASS, by phone at the Consumer Service Center for Health Care Coverage at 1-866-550-4355, in person at your County Assistance Office, or by mailing a paper application to that office.
- PACE or PACENET: apply by phone at 1-800-225-7223 with your income and insurance information, online through the PACE enrollment site, or by mail to PACE/PACENET, PO Box 8806, Harrisburg, PA 17105-8806.
- Extra Help: apply with Social Security if an MSP doesn’t give it to you automatically.
- Get help: call PA MEDI at 1-800-783-7067 to go through the forms.
If you are still deciding when to sign up for Medicare, use our Medicare enrollment calculator. Free Medicare help Pennsylvania residents get from PA MEDI includes help with all of these applications.
Reporting Medicare fraud in Pennsylvania
The Department of Aging’s Medicare counseling page lists the Pennsylvania Senior Medicare Patrol at 800-356-3606. Its advice follows three steps:
- Protect: don’t share your Medicare or Social Security number with unsolicited callers, door-to-door visitors or health fair vendors.
- Detect: keep a log of your visits and compare it with your Medicare Summary Notices and Explanations of Benefits.
- Report: call your provider about billing questions, or the SMP for more help.
Medicare.gov also takes reports at 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227), and I-MEDIC handles Medicare Advantage and drug plan concerns at 1-877-772-3379.
Free Medicare help Pennsylvania checklist
- Call PA MEDI at 1-800-783-7067 or your local Area Agency on Aging.
- Compare your gross monthly income with the DHS table, which already includes the $20 deduction.
- Check resources against $9,950 (single) or $14,910 (couple).
- Apply through COMPASS or call 1-866-550-4355.
- If you’re 65 or older, compare last year’s income with the PACE and PACENET limits and call 1-800-225-7223.
- Apply for Extra Help if you don’t get it automatically.
- Report suspicious calls or bills to the SMP at 800-356-3606.
Free Medicare help Pennsylvania: frequently asked questions
What is PA MEDI?
Pennsylvania Medicare Education and Decision Insight, the Department of Aging’s free, confidential Medicare counseling program, delivered through 52 Area Agencies on Aging.
What is the PA MEDI phone number?
1-800-783-7067, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
What are the income limits for the Medicare Savings Program in Pennsylvania?
DHS lists $1,350 a month for QMB, less than $1,616 for SLMB and less than $1,816 for QI-1 for one person, with a $9,950 resource limit.
What are the PACE and PACENET income limits?
PACE: $14,500 or less single, $17,700 or less married. PACENET: $14,501 to $33,500 single, $17,701 to $41,500 married, based on last year’s income.
Can I have PACENET and Extra Help at the same time?
The state says PACE and PACENET work with Part D. Ask PA MEDI how they combine with Extra Help for your drugs.
Does PA MEDI sell insurance?
No. The Department of Aging says the program does not sell or recommend insurance products, agents or brokers.
Talk to a licensed agent after you check your options
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 PA MEDI counselor. Call (617) 935-9220. For free, unbiased counseling, call PA MEDI at 1-800-783-7067, or call 1-800-MEDICARE.
Keep Reading: Related Guides
- Life insurance in Pennsylvania
- Medicare Extra Help
- Medicare IRMAA calculator
- Medicare enrollment calculator
- Medicare Advantage plans in Pennsylvania (2027)
- Pennsylvania Medicaid burial rules
- Unclaimed life insurance in Pennsylvania
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.
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