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Medicare Part D prescription drug plan & Medicare Advantage plan information

2024
Medicare Part D plans

(prescription only coverage)

Click your state to compare all Medicare Part D prescription drug plans (PDPs)

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2024
Medicare Advantage plans

(MA, MAPD, SNP, MMP)

Enter your zip code to compare all Medicare Advantage plans

Or click on your state below:
AK  AL  AR  AS  AZ  CA  CO  CT  DC  DE  FL  GA  GU  HI  IA  ID  IL  IN  IS  KS  KY  LA  MA  MD  ME  MI  MN  MO  MS  MT  NC  ND  NE  NH  NJ  NM  NV  NY  OH  OK  OR  PA  PR  RI  SC  SD  TN  TX  UT  VA  VI  VT  WA  WI  WV  WY

First Step - What are Medicare Part D Prescription Drug plans and Medicare Advanage plans?
What are Medicare Part D prescription drug plans and Medicare Advantage plans?

Medicare Part D prescription drug plans (PDPs) provide insurance coverage for your prescription drugs. Medicare Advantage plans (MAs or MAPDs) provide your Medicare Part A coverage (In-patient and Hospitalization) and your Medicare Part B coverage (Doctors visits and Out-Patient care) - and maybe even Medicare prescription drug coverage.

Medicare Part D plans and Medicare Advantage plans are both voluntary programs and you are not required to join a plan. But you may be subject to a late-enrollment penalty if you decide to join a prescription drug plan sometime after your initial enrollment period has ended.

Medicare Part D plans and Medicare Advantage plans are regulated by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS or Medicare) and implemented by private insurance companies (such as Aetna, Humana, and United HealthCare).

If you decide to enroll in a Medicare Part D plan or Medicare Advantage plan, you will find that, like any insurance, you pay a monthly premium. The monthly premiums for a Medicare Part D PDP can range from under $10 to over $156. The monthly premiums for a Medicare Advantage plan with (MAPD) or without (MA) prescription coverage can range from $0 (or less) to $313.

Medicare Part D and Medicare Advantage plans may have an initial deductible, copayments or coinsurance, and some Donut Hole (Doughnut Hole) or Gap coverage (you can find more on these topics in our Glossary).

When you enroll in a Medicare Part D prescription drug plan or a Medicare Advantage plan that offers prescription coverage, you should find that your prescription medication costs are reduced. The amount of savings depends on the Medicare plan you select. Click on this link to view all of the Medicare Part D plans in your State.
Step 2 - So how do you actually choose a Medicare Part D prescription drug plan or Medicare Advantage plan?
Choosing a Medicare Part D or Medicare Advantage plan

Medicare suggests that you look at Coverage, Cost, and Convenience - and to these criteria we also suggest you consider the Company and your level of Comfort.
  • Coverage - Are your prescription medications covered by this plan? Are there generic alternatives for your brand-name drugs? Can you work with this plan to get a formulary exception should you need a medication that is not covered on the existing formulary? What cost-sharing applies to your medications? What health coverage does the Medicare Advantage plan offer beyond basic Medicare? Are there any additional benefits offered by the plan?

  • Cost - What are the monthly plan premiums? Does the Medicare Part D plan or Medicare Advantage plan have an initial deductible? What are the copayments or coinsurance that you pay for your medications or healthcare? What are the plan's coverage limits? Is there any prescription coverage in the Donut Hole in addition to the donut hole discount?   Also see: But isn’t the Coverage Gap (Donut Hole) closed?

  • Convenience - How difficult is it to find a pharmacy or a health care provider? (Note: most national Medicare Part D plans have a pharmacy network of over 50,000 pharmacies.) Are you restricted to a single healthcare network? Do your doctors accept this Medicare Advantage plan? How easy is it to work with this Medicare Part D plan or Medicare Advantage plan?

  • Company - Are you familiar with the company or organization who provides the Medicare Part D or Medicare Advantage plan? Often people choose a Medicare plan based only the Medicare plan provider's reputation, recommendation, or Medicare star ratings.

  • Comfort - Are you comfortable with your current Medicare Part D plan or Medicare Advantage plan? Would you rather spend a few extra dollars per month because you know how your current Medicare plan operates and your plan costs are predictable?
Still looking for more? Here are some general tips specifically for Medicare Part D prescription drug plan selection.
Step 3 - Enrolling in your newly chosen Medicare Part D plan or Medicare Advantage plan
Enrolling into a Medicare Part D plan or Medicare Advantage plan

You can enroll in a stand-alone Medicare Part D Prescription Drug plan or a Medicare Advantage plan during the Annual Open Enrollment Period (AEP) starting October 15th and continuing for seven weeks through December 7th. Your newly selected Medicare plan coverage starts on January 1st of the following year.

You also may be eligible for a Special Enrollment Period (SEP) allowing you to change Medicare plans outside of the AEP.


The Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period (MA OEP) for Medicare Advantage plans begins January 1st and continues through March 31st -- during the MA OEP current members of Medicare Advantage plans can switch their Medicare Advantage plan or go back to Original Medicare and join a stand-alone Medicare Part D drug plan.

If you are just turning 65 or newly eligible for Medicare, you will be granted a seven (7) month Initial Enrollment Period (IEP) during which you can join a Medicare Part D or Medicare Advantage plan. The seven month period begins three months before your Medicare eligibility (or birthday) month, includes your eligibility month, and continues for three months after your Medicare eligibility month. However, your Medicare plan can begin no sooner than the first day of your Medicare eligibility month.


You always pay the same amount for a Medicare Part D plan or Medicare Advantage plan, no matter where or how you enroll.

You can enroll directly with Medicare (1-800-Medicare) or with an insurance agent or the Medicare plan provider. No matter how you enroll in to a Medicare plan, the enrollment result should always be the same and in 10 business days you should receive your Medicare Part D new member information.

Once enrolled into a Medicare Part D or Medicare Advantage plan, you can contact the plan's Member Services department with any questions or concerns. The toll-free number will be on the back of your Member ID card.
2024 Medicare IRMAA Information Available
2024 IRMAA: Slight increase in Medicare Part D IRMAA payments for some along with changes in the IRMAA brackets due to annual inflation adjustments.

Medicare Part D beneficiaries with annual income (MAGI) over $103,000 (individual) or over $206,000 for couples filing joint (see 2024 IRMAA rate charts) will pay the Medicare Part D Income-Related Monthly Adjustment Amount (IRMAA) in addition to their monthly Medicare Part D plan premium.
2024 Medicare Part D prescription drug plan (PDP) interactive statistical information is online.
PDP-Facts.com: 2024 Medicare Part D Prescription Drug Plan (PDP) Summary and Statistical Information.

Would you like to learn more about 2024 Medicare Part D Prescription Drug Plans?

We have information available for all 2024 Medicare Part D prescription drug plans across the country. We provide a national overview of all Part D plans and state specific summaries of the Medicare Part D prescription drug plans in your area. Here are a few state examples:
The Part D plan summaries are interactive so you can click on any "linked" or underlined numbers and get a better idea of the actual Part D plan details and Part D plan changes.
Read the most viewed entries in our Medicare Part D Frequently Asked Questions
Read the most viewed entries in our Medicare Part D Frequently Asked Questions

2024
Medicare Advantage plans

(MA, MAPD, SNP, MMP)

Enter your zip code to compare all Medicare Advantage plans

Or click on your state below:
AK  AL  AR  AS  AZ  CA  CO  CT  DC  DE  FL  GA  GU  HI  IA  ID  IL  IN  IS  KS  KY  LA  MA  MD  ME  MI  MN  MO  MS  MT  NC  ND  NE  NH  NJ  NM  NV  NY  OH  OK  OR  PA  PR  RI  SC  SD  TN  TX  UT  VA  VI  VT  WA  WI  WV  WY


2024
Medicare Part D plans

(prescription only coverage)

Click your state to compare all Medicare Part D prescription drug plans (PDPs)

AK  AL  AR  AS  AZ  CA  CO  CT  DC  DE  FL  GA  GU  HI  IA  ID  IL  IN  IS  KS  KY  LA  MA  MD  ME  MI  MN  MO  MS  MT  NC  ND  NE  NH  NJ  NM  NV  NY  OH  OK  OR  PA  PR  RI  SC  SD  TN  TX  UT  VA  VI  VT  WA  WI  WV  WY

The Q1Medicare.com prescription drug finder (PDP-DrugFinder) helps find drugs coverd by your Part D plan.
Q1Rx.com Prescription Drug Search Tool

Q1Rx is designed for fast, medication searches and provides plan details, cost-sharing, and average retail drug price, and drug usage management information for your covered medication.

With Q1Rx, you can search for a medication different ways and find the coverage details for all Medicare Part D plans in your state. Want to browse all medications on your plan’s formulary (list of covered drugs)? Our Formulary Browser (Formulary-Browser.com) shows covered drugs along with their cost-sharing, average retail price and drug usage management.
Read the newest entries in our Medicare Part D Articles
Read the newest entries in our Medicare Part D Articles

Stay Informed with our Medicare Part D Newsletter
Stay Informed with our Medicare Part D Newsletter

Join the thousands of people who receive our Medicare Part D Newsletter.


Our free Newsletter is published on a regular basis and provides details on various areas of your prescription drug plan coverage. New Medicare developments, frequently asked questions, and even more complex areas of Part D coverage are included. We also welcome reader input and suggestions for new topics. Sign up below. Please note, that we never share your personal information with other parties.




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2024 Low Income Subsidy (LIS) $0 Premium Medicare Part D Plans
2024 Low Income Subsidy (LIS) Benchmark and $0 Premium Plans

If you receive Extra-Help (also known as LIS) or are dual eligible for Medicare and Medicaid, there are Medicare Prescription Drug plans in your state that will qualify for the $0 monthly premium. Click below to review our state benchmark premium article. You can click on the benchmark premium for your state to review all plans qualifying for the $0 monthly premium.
2024 CMS Medicare and You Handbook
2024 Medicare & You Handbook

Available for download as PDF (in English & Spanish plus archive). For a printed version of this 128 page document, please telephone Medicare at (1-800-Medicare).
What can we expect from the 2024 Medicare Part D plans? - Take a look at the CMS standard benefit
What can we expect from 2024 Medicare Part D plans?

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) publishes basic Medicare Part D benefit parameters that are used as a standard for the design of Medicare Part D plans offered by Medicare Part D plan providers.

The 2024 CMS standard Medicare Part D plan provides:
  • 2024 standard Initial Deductible: The maximum initial deductible is $545 (up from $505 in 2023).

  • 2024 Initial Coverage Limit (ICL): The 2024 ICL is $5,030, up from $4,660 in 2023.

  • The 2024 Coverage Gap (also known as the Donut Hole): After you meet your ICL and until your Total Out-of-Pocket (TrOOP) costs (not including plan premiums) reaches $8,000, you pay 25% of your plan’s negotiated retail price for formulary prescriptions. This is known as the donut hole discount. Also see: But isn’t the Coverage Gap (Donut Hole) closed?

  • Catastrophic Coverage: If your TrOOP (total drug spending) reaches $8,000, you will have 100% coverage ($0 copay) for the remainder of the year.
PDP-Planner: Medicare Part D spending planner
PDP-Planner helps you prepare for your 2024 plan costs

You can begin to prepare for your 2024 Medicare Part D prescription drug spending now. Millions of Medicare Part D beneficiaries enter the Donut Hole or Coverage Gap each year -- and most people do not exit the Donut Hole, but instead stay in the Donut Hole through the remainder of the year. Would you like to estimate your budget for prescription drug in 2024? Use our free PDP-Planner to plan now for 2024 or review 2023.

You can also use calculators from prior plan years to compare your previous experiences.   202220212020



Tips & Disclaimers
  • Q1Medicare®, Q1Rx®, and Q1Group® are registered Service Marks of Q1Group LLC and may not be used in any advertising, publicity, or for commercial purposes without the express authorization of Q1Group.
  • The Medicare Advantage and Medicare Part D prescription drug plan data on our site comes directly from Medicare and is subject to change.
  • Medicare has neither reviewed nor endorsed the information on our site.
  • We provide our Q1Medicare.com site for educational purposes and strive to present unbiased and accurate information. However, Q1Medicare is not intended as a substitute for your lawyer, doctor, healthcare provider, financial advisor, or pharmacist. For more information on your Medicare coverage, please be sure to seek legal, medical, pharmaceutical, or financial advice from a licensed professional or telephone Medicare at 1-800-633-4227.
  • We are an independent education, research, and technology company. We are not affiliated with any Medicare plan, plan carrier, healthcare provider, or insurance company. We are not compensated for Medicare plan enrollments. We do not sell leads or share your personal information.
  • Benefits, formulary, pharmacy network, provider network, premium and/or co-payments/co-insurance may change on January 1 of each year. Our PDPCompare.com and MACompare.com provide highlights of annual plan benefit changes.
  • The benefit information provided is a brief summary, not a complete description of benefits. For more information contact the plan.
  • Limitations, copayments, and restrictions may apply.
  • We make every effort to show all available Medicare Part D or Medicare Advantage plans in your service area. However, since our data is provided by Medicare, it is possible that this may not be a complete listing of plans available in your service area. For a complete listing please contact 1-800-MEDICARE (TTY users should call 1-877-486-2048), 24 hours a day/7 days a week or consult www.medicare.gov.
    Statement required by Medicare:
    "We do not offer every plan available in your area. Any information we provide is limited to those plans we do offer in your area. Please contact Medicare.gov or 1-800-MEDICARE to get information on all of your options."
  • When enrolling in a Medicare Advantage plan, you must continue to pay your Medicare Part B premium.
  • Medicare beneficiaries with higher incomes may be required to pay both a Medicare Part B and Medicare Part D Income Related Monthly Adjustment Amount (IRMAA). Read more on IRMAA.
  • Medicare Advantage plans that include prescription drug coverage (MAPDs) are considered Medicare Part D plans and members with higher incomes may be subject to the Medicare Part D Income Related Monthly Adjustment Amount (IRMAA), just as members in stand-alone Part D plans. In certain situations, you can appeal IRMAA.
  • You must be enrolled in both Medicare Part A and Part B to enroll in a Medicare Advantage plan. Members may enroll in a Medicare Advantage plan only during specific times of the year. Contact the Medicare plan for more information.
  • If you are enrolled in a Medicare plan with Part D prescription drug coverage, you may be eligible for financial Extra Help to assist with the payment of your prescription drug premiums and drug purchases. To see if you qualify for Extra Help, call: 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227). TTY users should call 1-877-486-2048, 24 hours a day/ 7 days a week or consult www.medicare.gov; the Social Security Office at 1-800-772-1213 between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m., Monday through Friday. TTY users should call, 1-800-325-0778; or your state Medicaid Office.
  • Medicare evaluates plans based on a 5-Star rating system. Star Ratings are calculated each year and may change from one year to the next.
  • A Medicare Advantage Private Fee-for-Service plan (PFFS) is not a Medicare supplement plan. Providers who do not contract with the plan are not required to see you except in an emergency.
  • Disclaimer for Institutional Special Needs Plan (SNP): This plan is available to anyone with Medicare who meets the Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF) level of care and resides in a nursing home.
  • Disclaimer for Dual Eligible (Medicare/Medicaid) Special Needs Plan (SNP): This plan is available to anyone who has both Medical Assistance from the State and Medicare. Premiums, co-pays, co-insurance, and deductibles may vary based on the level of Extra Help you receive. Please contact the plan for further details.
  • Disclaimer for Chronic Condition Special Needs Plan (SNP): This plan is available to anyone with Medicare who has been diagnosed with the plan specific Chronic Condition.
  • Medicare MSA Plans combine a high deductible Medicare Advantage Plan and a trust or custodial savings account (as defined and/or approved by the IRS). The plan deposits money from Medicare into the account. You can use this money to pay for your health care costs, but only Medicare-covered expenses count toward your deductible. The amount deposited is usually less than your deductible amount, so you generally have to pay out-of-pocket before your coverage begins.
  • Medicare MSA Plans do not cover prescription drugs. If you join a Medicare MSA Plan, you can also join any separate (stand-alone) Medicare Part D prescription drug plan
  • There are additional restrictions to join an MSA plan, and enrollment is generally for a full calendar year unless you meet certain exceptions. Those who disenroll during the calendar year will owe a portion of the account deposit back to the plan. Contact the plan provider for additional information.
  • Medicare beneficiaries may enroll through the CMS Medicare Online Enrollment Center located at www.medicare.gov.
  • Medicare beneficiaries can file a complaint with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services by calling 1-800-MEDICARE 24 hours a day/7 days or using the medicare.gov site. Beneficiaries can appoint a representative by submitting CMS Form-1696.