Low-income Native Americans can get help paying for their Medicare and prescription drug costs through the Medicare Part D Low Income Subsidy (LIS/Extra Help) and the Medicare Savings Programs. Our fact sheets, available for download below, specifically mention some of the assets held by Native Americans that do not count toward income and resource eligibility.

These two subsidies are promoted under the work of the Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act (MIPPA), which funds outreach to low-income Medicare beneficiaries through State Health Insurance Assistance Programs (SHIPs), Area Agencies on Aging (AAAs), Aging and Disability Resource Centers (ADRCs), and Title VI funding to Tribes.

These resources have also been made available in Word format so that local counselors can tailor the contact information on the back of the sheet to refer Medicare beneficiaries to their local office for Medicare assistance.

All program information is up to date for 2023.

Because each state sets its own income and asset eligibility criteria for Medicare Savings Programs, use this chart to find these criteria and fill in the table for your state.

Separate fact sheets targeted at Alaska Natives and Native Hawaiians also appear below. 

Want to help Tribal elders better understand why enrolling in Medicare is different from Indian Health Services, and can help save their Tribe money? This tip sheet, developed with the International Association for Indigenous Aging, helps explain the differences between Medicare and IHS, and can complement the outreach on Medicare subsidies.