How to save on brand-name drugs when you haven't met your Medicare deductible
Educational information, not medical, legal or insurance advice.
The short answer
Before you meet your Part D deductible, many people pay full price at the pharmacy. There are several ways to lower what you pay. No single option fits everyone, so it helps to compare a few.
Why you may pay full price early in the year
If your Medicare plan has a deductible, you pay all of your out-of-pocket drug costs until you reach it. In 2026, no Medicare drug plan may have a deductible higher than $615, and some plans have none. Check your own plan to see what applies to you.
1. Ask about a lower-cost drug
Talk to your doctor or other provider. Medicare suggests asking whether a generic version of your drug would work for you, or a lower-cost brand-name drug. For some biological products there may be a biosimilar. Only your prescriber can decide what is right for you.
2. Check your plan's drug list
Each plan has a list of covered drugs, called a formulary, and plans can choose which drugs they offer. Drugs are placed in tiers, and generally a drug in a lower tier costs you less. If your drug is not on the list, you can ask for an exception. A tiering exception lets a plan charge a lower amount for a drug on its non-preferred tier. Your prescriber must send a supporting statement.
3. Use a preferred pharmacy
Some plans have preferred in-network pharmacies. Medicare says these may save you money because they charge less than other pharmacies in your plan's network.
4. Look at mail order and longer supplies
Medicare says a mail-order program may be a cost-effective and convenient way to get drugs you take regularly. Some plans let you get up to a 3-month supply shipped to your home, and some pharmacies offer a 2- or 3-month supply. Ask your plan what it offers.
5. Check manufacturer programs
Medicare suggests you check whether the company that makes your drug offers help paying for it.
6. Ask about Extra Help
Extra Help is a Medicare program for people with limited income and resources. It lowers Part D premiums, deductibles and coinsurance. Some people get it automatically. Others apply through Social Security at ssa.gov. For 2026, Medicare lists the income limit as $23,940 for one person and $32,460 for a married couple, and the resource limit as $18,090 and $36,100.
7. Look for state help
Some states offer help with drug costs. Medicare has a tool to find out if yours does. Our state pages list state programs where they exist: New York and Pennsylvania have state prescription programs, and the pages for Florida, Texas and Arizona point to free Medicare counseling.
8. Spread out your costs
The Medicare Prescription Payment Plan lets you spread your out-of-pocket drug costs across the year. Medicare says it does not save you money or lower your drug costs, but it may make monthly budgeting easier.
9. Compare pharmacy prices from Canada
Prices from licensed pharmacies in Canada are one more option to compare. Keep this in mind: Medicare drug plans don't cover prescription drugs you buy outside the U.S., so those purchases do not count toward your deductible or your yearly limit. Read more about that here.
RxPriceLink is a referral service, not a pharmacy. We point you toward licensed partner pharmacies and show you the lowest price we find. A valid prescription is always required, and you decide what is right for you.
Free help
A State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) gives free counseling to people with Medicare, including help applying for Extra Help. Visit shiphelp.org. It is not affiliated with RxPriceLink. For questions about RxPriceLink, call us toll-free at 1-844-999-4295 or use the form on this page.
Keep reading
Local information for each state: Arizona · Florida · New York · Pennsylvania · Texas.
Sources
- Medicare.gov: Help with drug costs (Extra Help, 2026 limits, state help, manufacturer programs, lower-cost options)
- Medicare.gov: Costs for Medicare drug coverage
- Medicare.gov: How do drug plans work? (formulary, tiers, exceptions)
- Medicare.gov: What pharmacies can I use? (preferred pharmacies, mail order, longer supplies)
- Medicare.gov: How much does Medicare drug coverage cost? (Medicare Prescription Payment Plan)
- Medicare.gov: Travel outside the U.S. (drug plans do not cover drugs bought outside the U.S.)
- Medicare.gov: Talk to someone (SHIP counseling)
- Social Security: Extra Help with Medicare prescription drug plan costs