The Qualified Medicare Beneficiary (QMB) program is a Medicaid benefit that pays for Medicare premiums as well as protects individuals from coinsurance and copayment for Medicare-covered services. QMB protections apply whether a beneficiary receives Medicare through Original fee-for-service Medicare or a Medicare Advantage plan.

A new Justice in Aging issue brief, Qualified Medicare Beneficiary (QMB) Protections in Medicare Advantage: Issues, Tips, and Avenues for Advocacy, looks at how QMB protections apply to beneficiaries enrolled in Medicare Advantage plans and discusses ways advocates can address common issues that arise for QMB beneficiaries in Medicare Advantage. It also identifies areas for advocacy to make Medicare Advantage work more smoothly for QMBs.