Medicare Part D offers the broadest prescription coverage based on meeting specific plan criteria. However, other parts of Medicare also provide different levels of drug coverage.

Medicare prescription drug plans cover many prescription drugs at affordable costs. You may get prescription drug coverage through a Part D prescription drug plan or a Part C Medicare Advantage plan that includes prescription drug coverage.

Learn about the options available for prescription drug coverage and how to lower your costs.

Medicare has four major parts that offer different benefits: hospital (Part A), outpatient medical (Part B), prescription drugs (Part D), and Medicare Advantage (Part C), which covers many of these options and a few other extras.

You can get prescription coverage under Medicare in the following ways:

  • Part D plans cover FDA-approved prescription medications for people with Original Medicare (parts A and B). Covered drugs are based on your chosen plan and the plan’s formulary or covered drug list. Your costs depend on your out-of-pocket costs, like deductibles and copays.
  • Medicare Advantage (Part C) plans are private plans that provide similar benefits to Original Medicare (parts A and B). Some Advantage plans also offer bundled prescription drug coverage.
  • Part B provides medical insurance that covers outpatient services. This part of Original Medicare covers limited prescription medications usually given at a doctor’s office, dialysis center, or other outpatient hospital settings. It also covers limited prescription medications for at-home use, such as oral chemotherapy drugs and oral anti-nausea drugs that are part of a cancer treatment plan.
  • Part A (hospital insurance) covers hospital stays, limited skilled nursing facility stays, hospice, and home healthcare when certain criteria are met. Prescription medications you receive as part of your care are generally covered.
Other options

Other options to help with prescription drug costs include:

  • Federally qualified health centers (FQHCs): These are federally funded health centers that can sometimes help lower your copays for prescription medications. You can ask if you’re eligible for copay help.
  • Part D Low-Income Subsidy (LIS): Also called Extra Help, this program helps pay for premiums and lowers medication copays. If you qualify, you’d pay $4.90 for generic and $12.15 for brand medications in 2025. You might qualify for full or partial help. You still need to select a Part D plan and might be eligible to enroll during the special enrollment period if you qualify for Extra Help.
  • Patient Assistance Programs (PAPs): These are offered directly through pharmaceutical companies. You may be eligible for discounts or pay nothing for your medication. Ask your doctor if you are eligible and about enrollment. These plans may not apply if you are eligible for Medicare.
  • State Pharmaceutical Assistance Programs (SPAPs): These programs help pay for prescriptions and other drug related costs. Check to see if your state has a plan and if you qualify.
  • Medigap: Medigap or Medicare supplement plans don’t cover prescription drugs, but they can help you pay for the out-of-pocket costs like copays and deductibles of Parts A and B.
  • Drug savings coupons: You may be able to find coupons through a drug manufacturer or another program to lower prescription drug costs. However, you may not be able to use coupons along with your Medicare benefits.

You’re eligible for prescription drug benefits when you become eligible for Medicare. For most people, you become eligible 3 months before to 3 months after your 65th birthday.

If you receive Social Security benefits, you are eligible for Medicare and will be automatically enrolled in Part A and B.

If you have ESRD, you may be eligible for Medicare before you turn 65. Also, if you’ve received Social Security disability payments for at least 2 years, you’re eligible 3 months before to 3 months after your 25th month of receiving benefits. You can also enroll in a Part D plan or Medicare Advantage plan.

You can also enroll for Part D coverage or change plans if your plan no longer provides coverage, you move to an area where your plan doesn’t offer coverage, you qualify for extra help, or other special circumstances apply.

Several options are available to enroll in a Part D plan. You can enroll:

  • online through the Medicare plan finder tool
  • by calling Medicare directly at 800-MEDICARE (800-633-4227)
  • by contacting a private insurance company that offers the Part D plan you want or visiting the company’s website to submit an application

If you decide on a Medicare Advantage plan to provide your prescription drug coverage, you can shop for Part C plans with Medicare.gov’s plan finder tool or enroll directly with the insurance company via its website or by phone.

You cannot typically enroll in a Part D plan if you have a Medicare Advantage plan.

However, in certain types of plans that don’t include Medicare drug coverage, like some private fee-for-service plans, you can join a separate Medicare drug plan.

When you enroll, be prepared to provide some basic information about yourself. You’ll also need to have your Medicare card ready to give your Medicare number and the date your Original Medicare coverage began.

Does Medicare Part D pay for all of your prescriptions?

Every Part D plan includes coverage for commonly used prescription drugs, including those treating serious diseases like cancer and HIV. These drugs are organized into tiers of varying costs. Typically, the lower-tier meds are more affordable than the higher ones. Each plan’s drug list or “formulary” may differ.

New coverage rules for 2025 have also eliminated out-of-pocket Part D prescription drug costs over $2,000 on covered medications, known as catastrophic coverage.

What is the best prescription coverage for seniors?

People who qualify for Medicare can get prescription coverage through Medicare Part D if they have Original Medicare (parts A and B), or they can get prescription coverage through a bundled Medicare Advantage (Part C) plan.

Even within these plans, each might cover different drugs, and your coverage depends on the plan, the private insurance company that administers it, and where you live. When comparing plans, you can look up a plan’s formulary or list of covered drugs to ensure your chosen plan covers your medications.

You can get prescription coverage through different Medicare plans.

Part D plans provide stand-alone drug coverage if you have Medicare Part A and Part B. Some Medicare Advantage plans bundle prescription coverage with hospital and medical insurance. Coverage varies by plan and can depend on where you live.

Parts A and B offer limited prescription coverage. When comparing drug plans, you can search based on the medications you take and the plan’s out-of-pocket costs.