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| See how Medicare is responding to COVID-19. |
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| During the COVID-19 pandemic, if it’s difficult for you to get to a retail pharmacy or if you’re not allowed to go to a retail pharmacy, like during a quarantine situation, Medicare drug plans may allow you to get mail or home delivery from retail pharmacies that choose to offer these delivery services. |
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| During the COVID-19 pandemic, Medicare drug plans must relax their “refill-too-soon” policy. Plans must let you get up to a 90-day supply in one fill unless quantities are more limited for safety reasons. |
If you have Medicare drug coverage, live in an area that's be declared an emergency or disaster, and:
- You can't go to your usual in-network pharmacy to replace your prescription drugs: contact your Medicare drug plan to find another in-network pharmacy nearby. An in-network pharmacy is a pharmacy that agrees to provide members of certain Medicare plans with services and supplies at a discounted price. In some Medicare plans, your prescriptions are only covered if you get them filled at in-network pharmacies.
- You had to evacuate without your prescription drugs, or your prescription drugs were damaged or lost because of the emergency or disaster: contact your Medicare plan.
- You can't reasonably get to an in-network pharmacy: your plan can help you get prescription drugs during an emergency or disaster at an out-of-network pharmacy.
Using in-network pharmacies
- You'll be able to move most prescriptions from one in-network pharmacy to another, and back to your regular pharmacy when the emergency or disaster ends. If you need help finding the closest in-network pharmacy, contact your Medicare plan.
- You'll need to tell the new pharmacy the name of your regular pharmacy and the drugs you need refilled.
Using out-of-network pharmacies
- Contact your plan for information about their out-of-network rules.
- When you buy your drugs at an out-of-network pharmacy, you'll probably have to pay full cost for the drugs at the time you fill your prescriptions.
- If you paid full cost for the drugs, save your receipts so you can ask your plan if it'll refund you for your costs (note: you won't get a refund for the out-of-network cost-sharing amount). Ask your plan how to submit your claim.
Additional (extended-day) supplies
If you think you won't return home for a long time, you may want to get a 60- to 90-day supply of your prescription drugs. Ask your plan if it offers 60- to 90-day supplies and which pharmacies you can use to get them.
For more information on getting prescription drugs during an emergency or disaster, contact your Medicare drug plan.
How can I find contact information for my Medicare drug plan?
You can also call us at 1-800-MEDICARE.
Go back to the Getting care or drugs in disasters or emergencies main page.