Choose how you get drug coverage
There are 2 main ways to get Medicare drug coverage (Part D) . Use this page to learn the differences and decide which option best fits your needs.
Two main ways to get coverage
Medicare drug plan
These plans add Medicare drug coverage to:
- Original Medicare (Part A and Part B)
- Some Medicare Cost Plans
- Some Medicare Advantage Private Fee-for-Service Plans
- Medicare Medical Saving Account (MSA) Plans
You must have Medicare Part A (Hospital Insurance) and/or Medicare Part B (Medical Insurance) to join a separate Medicare drug plan .
Medicare Advantage Plan (Part C) or other Medicare health plan with drug coverage
You get your Part A, Part B, and Medicare drug coverage (Part D) through these plans.
You must have Part A and Part B to join a Medicare Advantage Plan, and you’ll usually get your drug coverage through that plan.
How do I know if I need to add drug coverage?
Most Medicare Advantage Plans include Medicare drug coverage (Part D). This means you typically don’t have to add separate drug coverage.
Certain other types of Medicare health plans don’t include drug coverage. Whether you can add separate drug coverage depends on the type of plan you have.
Types of plans that usually include drug coverage
If you have a Health Maintenance Organization Point-of-Service (HMOPOS) Plan or Preferred Provider Organization (PPO) Plan and it doesn’t cover drugs, you can’t join a separate Medicare drug plan. If you join a separate drug plan, you’ll be disenrolled from your Medicare Advantage Plan and switched to Original Medicare.
Types of plans that let you add a separate drug plan
Certain plans let you add a separate drug plan without losing your current Medicare health coverage. You can join a separate Medicare drug plan if you have a:
- Private Fee-for-Service (PFFS) Plan that doesn’t include Part D
- Medical Savings Account (MSA) Plan
- Medicare Cost Plan
- Certain Medicare health plans through an employer or former employer
What happens if I don’t get drug coverage?
If you decide not to get Medicare drug coverage when you’re first eligible and you don’t have
creditable prescription drug coverage
, you may have to pay a
Part D late enrollment penalty
if you join a Part D plan later. What’s creditable drug coverage?
Generally, you’ll pay this penalty for as long as you have Medicare drug coverage. Even if you don’t take prescription drugs now, consider getting Medicare drug coverage. How do I avoid the Part D penalty?
Who can join
To join a Medicare health or drug plan, you must live in an area the plan serves and be a U.S. citizen or U.S. national, a lawful permanent resident (green card holder), a Cuban-Haitian entrant, or lawfully living in the U.S. as a Compact of Free Association (COFA) migrant.
What do you want to do next?
What drug plans cover
Learn what Medicare drug plans typically cover and what a formulary is.
Your coverage options
Review the differences between Original Medicare and Medicare Advantage Plans.
Browse plans with drug coverage
Compare Medicare drug plans in your area to find coverage that fits your needs.