Medicare Part D prescription drug coverage, often referred to as Part D, is provided and coordinated by Medicare-approved private insurance companies. Any beneficiary who is eligible for Original Medicare, Part A and/or Part B, and permanently resides in the service area of a Medicare Prescription Drug Plan, can sign-up for Medicare Part D. Medicare Part D coverage is optional, but if you don’t enroll in Part D as soon as you’re eligible, you might pay a late-enrollment penalty if you enroll later.

You can get Medicare Part D coverage through a stand-alone Medicare Prescription Drug Plan if you’re enrolled in Original Medicare. If you’re enrolled in a Medicare Advantage plan, you can get this coverage through a plan that includes drug benefits, also known as a Medicare Advantage Prescription Drug Plan. Different insurers offer different types of plans, so your monthly plan premium and out-of-pocket expenses for prescription drugs will vary from plan to plan.

Filling the coverage gap

You may have heard of the Medicare coverage gap (also called the “donut hole”) but aren’t clear on how it works. After your Medicare Part D coverage has paid a certain amount for prescription drugs, you may have to pay all costs yourself, up to a yearly limit. This temporary limit on what your Medicare Prescription Drug Plan will pay for covered drugs is the coverage gap. The coverage gap applies to both stand-alone Medicare Prescription Drug Plans and Medicare Advantage Prescription Drug Plans.

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