Is Medicare the lowest-cost option for your prescription drugs? If you’re uncertain about your drug coverage, the beginning of the year is an excellent time to review. You can ensure that you’re paying the least amount of money out-of-pocket.
How to Check Your Prescription Drug Coverage
The status of your prescription drug coverage depends on which Medicare plan you’re enrolled in. Here’s how they differ.
Original Medicare Coverage – Effective January 1, 2023
If you’re on the Original Medicare plan, your prescription drugs are covered separately under Medicare Part D. Any changes you made to your Medicare Part D coverage during the 2022 Fall Open Enrollment period took effect on January 1, 2023.
Medicare Advantage Plan – Open Enrollment January 1 to March 31, 2023
But if you have the Medicare Advantage plan, you can change your prescription drug coverage during the Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period, which begins January 1 and ends March 31 each year.
Learn More: How to get prescription drug coverage | Medicare.gov
How to Get Medicare Help Online
If you’re uncertain about which prescription drug coverage plan is right for you, Medicare.gov suggests you start with these six tips to help you choose.
Medicare also offers an online tool that allows you to check your prescription drug coverage. Simply enter your ZIP code and choose from these plan options:
- Medicare Advantage Plan
- Drug Plan (Part D)
- Drug Plan (Part D) + Medigap policy
- Medigap policy only
You can also choose to learn more about available plans if you’re just starting out with Medicare.
As you use the tool, you’ll have the option to provide information about the prescription medications you’re taking and your preferred pharmacy. Once you’ve entered your prescriptions, you’ll be able to compare various plans and costs and choose the one that fits you best.
Could You Save More on Prescription Drugs?
Having Medicare prescription drug coverage may not prevent out-of-pocket costs for your medications, but there are more ways to see whether or not you’re paying the lowest price.
ID.me Rx is a no-cost prescription savings program that helps you save money on prescriptions by making it easy to compare prices across pharmacies, potentially helping you get your medication at a lower price.
After you’ve checked your Medicare prescription drug coverage costs, simply compare your out-of-pocket cost with Medicare against the cash cost using ID.me Rx and choose the lowest-priced option. (Just note that you can’t use both your Medicare benefits and ID.me Rx – you’ll need to choose one or the other.)
Extra Help for People with Limited Incomes
If your income is limited, you may qualify for additional prescription medication cost assistance through the Social Security Administration (SSA) Medicare Part D Extra Help program. If you’re eligible, you can receive subsidized premiums, deductibles, and co-payments.
For more information, visit the SSA website.
Users of ID.me Rx must be 18 years old or older. Any savings obtained through the ID.me Rx program cannot be combined with insurance, Medicare, Medicaid, and/or other discounts in a single transaction. ID.me Rx is a prescription savings program, not an insurance plan or insurance substitute. The ID.me Rx Card is free. The ID.me Rx program provides access to savings at US participating pharmacies only, to save up to $95 per prescription, and it is not valid where otherwise prohibited by law. The ID.me Rx program is not intended to provide medical advice. All use is subject to the ID.me Rx Terms of Service. ID.me does not collect or retain data subject to HIPAA. ID.me Rx users can cancel their ID.me Rx account at any time by clicking here. For more information or, to find included prescriptions and participating pharmacies (all subject to change), visit rx.id.me or call (855) 937-2595 to speak with the plan administrator support.
