Costs in the coverage gap
Most Medicare drug plans have a coverage gap (also called the "donut hole"). This means there's a temporary limit on what the drug plan will cover for drugs.
Not everyone will enter the coverage gap. The coverage gap begins after you and your drug plan have spent a certain amount for covered drugs. Once you and your plan have spent $4,430 on covered drugs in 2022 ($4,660 in 2023), you're in the coverage gap. This amount may change each year. Also, people with Medicare who get Extra Help paying Part D costs won’t enter the coverage gap.
Brand-name prescription drugs
Once you reach the coverage gap, you'll pay no more than 25% of the cost for your plan's covered brand-name prescription drugs. You'll pay this discounted rate if you buy your prescriptions at a pharmacy or order them through the mail. Some plans may offer you even lower costs in the coverage gap. The discount will come off of the price that your plan has set with the pharmacy for that specific drug.
Although you'll pay no more than 25% of the price for the brand-name drug, almost the full price of the drug will count as out-of-pocket costs to help you get out of the coverage gap. What you pay and what the manufacturer pays (95% of the cost of the drug) will count toward your out-out-pocket spending. Here's a breakdown:
- Of the total cost of the drug, the manufacturer pays 70% to discount the price for you. Then your plan pays 5% of the cost. Together, the manufacturer and plan cover 75% of the cost. You pay 25% of the cost of the drug.
- There’s also a dispensing fee. Your plan pays 75% of the fee, and you pay 25% of the fee.
What the drug plan pays toward the drug cost (5% of the cost) and dispensing fee (75% of the fee) aren't counted toward your out-of-pocket spending.
If you have a Medicare drug plan that already includes coverage in the gap, you may get a discount after your plan's coverage has been applied to the drug's price. The discount for brand-name drugs will apply to the remaining amount that you owe.
Generic drugs
Medicare will pay 75% of the price for generic drugs during the coverage gap. You'll pay the remaining 25% of the price. The coverage for generic drugs works differently from the discount for brand-name drugs. For generic drugs, only the amount you pay will count toward getting you out of the coverage gap.
If you have a Medicare drug plan that already includes coverage in the gap, you may get a discount after your plan's coverage has been applied to the drug's price.
Items that count towards the coverage gap
- Your yearly , coinsurance, and copayments
- The discount you get on brand-name drugs in the coverage gap
- What you pay in the coverage gap
Items that don't count towards the coverage gap
- The drug plan
- Pharmacy dispensing fee
- What you pay for drugs that aren’t covered
If you think you should get a discount
If you think you've reached the coverage gap and you don't get a discount when you pay for your brand-name prescription, review your next Explanation of Benefits (EOB). If the discount doesn't appear on the EOB, contact your drug plan to make sure that your prescription records are correct and up-to-date.
If your drug plan doesn't agree that you're owed a discount, you can file an appeal.