Start with the kind of help you need.
Prescription Payment Plan
Spread covered out-of-pocket Part D costs across the calendar year. This may help with monthly budgeting, but it does not lower the total cost.
Explore In Detail →Spread covered prescription costs across the calendar year.
The Medicare Prescription Payment Plan is a voluntary payment option offered by every Medicare drug plan and Medicare health plan with drug coverage. It can help you manage cash flow by dividing covered out-of-pocket prescription costs into monthly bills over the calendar year.
How It Works
You fill a covered prescription without paying the pharmacy at the point of sale.
Your health or drug plan sends you a monthly bill for your covered prescription costs.
Your monthly bill may change as you fill new prescriptions and fewer months remain in the year.
Important To Know
There is no cost to participate, and anyone with Medicare drug coverage can use the option.
You continue paying your plan premium separately, if your plan has one.
The program changes when you pay. It does not lower your drug costs or save money by itself.
Extra Help can lower Medicare Part D costs.
Extra Help, also called the Part D Low-Income Subsidy or LIS, can help people with limited income and resources pay Part D premiums, deductibles, and prescription copayments. Some people qualify automatically through Medicaid, a Medicare Savings Program, or Supplemental Security Income; others can apply through Social Security.
Income and resource limits in 2026
In most cases, you must have income and resources below these limits. The limits may change each year.
- Individual
Income limit
$23,940
Resource limit
$18,090
- Married couple
Income limit
$32,460
Resource limit
$36,100
What you’ll pay under Extra Help in 2026
Plan premium: $0
Plan deductible: $0
Up to $5.10 for each generic drug at a participating pharmacy
Up to $12.65 for each brand-name drug at a participating pharmacy
Once total drug costs, including certain payments made on your behalf, reach $2,100, you’ll pay $0 for each covered drug.
Compare where you fill prescriptions and which assistance programs may be available.
Preferred Pharmacies and Mail Order
Some plans charge less when covered prescriptions are filled through a preferred pharmacy or an approved mail-order service. This can be especially useful for maintenance medications, but costs and availability vary by plan and prescription.
Compare preferred and standard pharmacy pricing instead of assuming every in-network pharmacy costs the same.
Ask whether a 90-day supply or mail-order option is covered and actually costs less.
Review covered alternatives with your prescriber when a medication is on a higher-cost tier.
Pharmaceutical Assistance Programs
Some pharmaceutical manufacturers offer programs that may help eligible people receive certain medications at a reduced cost. Each program sets its own medication, income, coverage, and application requirements.
Use Medicare’s Pharmaceutical Assistance Program finder and NeedyMeds to search for medication discounts and assistance programs. Confirm the current eligibility rules directly with the program or manufacturer.
Cost assistance is personal to your situation.
Income, resources, Medicaid status, medications, pharmacies, and current coverage can all affect the options available to you. I can help you organize the right questions and identify the next step.
David de Jonge
Licensed Independent Insurance AgentReady To Talk Through Prescription Cost Help?
No cost. No obligation. No pressure. Call or text me, schedule a time, or leave a message and I will explain what happens next.
Send a MessagePrescription Cost Help FAQs
Questions about programs and ways to manage drug costs.
No. The payment plan changes when you pay by spreading covered out-of-pocket prescription costs across the remaining months of the calendar year. It can help with cash flow, but it does not reduce the total amount you owe.
Extra Help is a federal program that can reduce Part D premiums, deductibles, and prescription cost-sharing for people who meet current income and resource rules. Limits and benefits can change each year.
It may. Plans can set different costs at preferred and standard network pharmacies, and mail order may help for some maintenance medications. Compare the plan's current pricing and make sure the option works for you.
Some manufacturers offer programs for certain medications and eligible applicants. Each program sets its own drug, income, insurance, and application rules. Confirm requirements directly with the program before relying on assistance.
Yes. If you do not qualify now, you can apply again after your financial situation changes. Use the current year's limits and official application because program rules can change.
A discount price may occasionally be lower, but a purchase outside your plan may not count toward your Part D out-of-pocket spending. Compare both options and ask how the transaction will be processed before paying.
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