Part D - Prescription Drug Plans

Part D of Original Medicare stands for Prescription Drug plan coverage. There are two ways to obtain this coverage. You can purchase a stand-alone drug plan, just like you can purchase car insurance; these stand-alone drug plans only cover prescription drugs. The average cost of a drug plan in 2023 is $31.50. They do not cover any other products, like OTC products. The stand-alone coverage is usually paired with a Medicare Supplement plan or Medigap since Supplemental/Medigap Insurance does not cover prescription drugs.    

The other way to obtain prescription drug coverage is through a Medicare Advantage Prescription Drug plan. The drug plans included in MAPD are usually very competitive in coverage and included as part of the "all in one" type of coverage that Medicare Advantage offers.