Texas Medicare Part D Prescription Drug Coverage is coverage for retail prescription drugs, or the medications that you pick up at a pharmacy. This is a voluntary program which allows you to access medications at an affordable rate, and insures yourself against any prescriptions you may need future.

Medicare Part D costs vary depending on the specific drug plan chosen. Generally, you are responsible for paying a monthly plan premium, and then deductibles and copays (or coinsurance) for your medications. People with higher incomes may have to pay more for the cost of their plan.

There are many Medicare Part D plans to choose from, with plans ranging from $15.00 – $100.00 on up. Choosing your drug plan should never be based purely on the plan’s monthly premium because every plan has its own separate premium, drug formulary, and copay.  Just enrolling in the cheapest plan without checking the plan’s formulary could lead you into paying higher out of pocket costs for the year. This could be an expensive mistake especially if you learn later that the plan does not cover one of your medications. Remember, the least expensive monthly premium is not necessarily the least expensive plan when figuring in total prescription costs. Also, do not forget, all Part D plans, the benefits, formulary, pharmacy network, provider network, premium and/or co-payments/co-insurance may change on January 1 of each year.

Extra Help

Beneficiaries who qualify may receive assistance with paying their monthly Part D premiums, their annual Part D deductible, and also their co-payments on retail medications. There are different levels of qualification, and your subsidy level generally determines how much assistance you will get you’re your premiums. Someone qualifying with a full subsidy would have 100% of their Part D premium paid for, up to the benchmark allowed by Medicare for that particular year.