Questions & answers · Health insurance
Is there help paying for my Medicare Part D premiums and drug costs?
Health insuranceBuying a policyChecked Nov 6, 2026
From K.Actuary, founded by Sangmin Kwon, ASA · sources checked 2026-11-06 · Source: Medicare.gov View original ↗
In short
- Extra Help is a Medicare program. It is for people with low income and savings.
- In 2026 the limits are $23,940 income and $18,090 resources for one person.
- You also skip the Part D late penalty while you get it.
What this means
Extra Help is a Medicare program. It is for people with low income and savings. It helps pay Part D premiums, deductibles, coinsurance and other costs [1]. You get it automatically if you have full-benefit Medicaid, get Medicare Savings Program help, or get Supplemental Security Income [1].
In 2026 the limits for one person are $23,940 in income and $18,090 in resources. For a married couple they are $32,460 and $36,100 [1]. The page has a separate question for Alaska and Hawaii; the sources here do not give those limits [1]. While you get Extra Help, you do not pay the Part D late enrollment penalty [1].
Your next step
You get Extra Help automatically if you have full-benefit Medicaid or get help from your state paying your Part B premium [1]. The sources here do not say how to apply if you don't. The sources give no deadline.
Check it yourself
Open Medicare.gov, Help with drug costs, at https://www.medicare.gov/basics/costs/help/drug-costs and read the part quoted above. Your own plan or policy papers hold details these sources do not give: "Don't know yet" for your case.
Where this comes from (1)
[1] Medicare.gov · checked 2026-11-06
Extra Help" is a Medicare program to help people with limited income and resources pay Medicare drug coverage (Part D) premiums, deductibles, coinsurance, and other costs … You'll get Extra Help automatically if you get: Full-benefit Medicaid coverage Help from your state paying your Part B premiums (from a Medicare Savings Program ) Supplemental Security Income (SSI) payments from Social Security … Individual $23,94…
How we found this
We matched your question to 1 official source, quoted the exact lines, and re-checked each quote against its source on 2026-11-06.
What we don’t know yet
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Information only — not legal advice. Your plan, insurer or agency decides.
This answer quotes the official sources listed above, with the date we checked them. Your own policy, notice and state rules control. We are not your lawyer or your insurer. We don’t file, argue or negotiate claims for you — you send any letter or form yourself.
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