Learn how Medicare Part D Prescription Drug coverage works and what it covers
What is Medicare Part D
Prescription drugs can be expensive, and Original Medicare usually doesn’t provide coverage. A Medicare Part D plan is a stand-alone prescription drug plan that helps pay for prescription drugs that are not covered by Original Medicare.
Learn how Medicare Part D works
Medicare Part D: Prescription drug plans
How it works | What it helps cover | What you pay |
You can add stand-alone Part D coverage to Original Medicare or a Medicare Supplement or Medicare Cost plan that doesn’t have prescription drug benefits. |
Part D plans help pay prescription drug costs. The types of drugs covered and the pharmacies you can use vary by plan. |
If you add a stand-alone Part D plan, you will pay a monthly premium. You may also pay a prescription drug deductible and a copay or coinsurance for your prescriptions. |
What you should know
- Most Medicare prescription drug plans have a coverage gap (known as the “donut hole”). When you reach the “donut hole,” you will temporarily pay a fixed coinsurance for your drugs.
- When you and your plan have paid a combined total of $5,030, you will pay 25% of the costs for brand-name and generic drugs until your yearly out-of-pocket costs reach $8,000.*
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