To join a Medicare drug plan (Part D), you must have Medicare Part A (Hospital Insurance) and/or Medicare Part B (Medical Insurance).

To join a Medicare Advantage Plan with drug coverage, you must have both Part A and Part B.

A Medicare Cost Plan is a type of Medicare health plan available in certain, limited areas of the country. In general, you can join even if you only have Part B.

If you get services outside of the plan’s network without a referral, your Medicare‐covered services will be paid for under Original Medicare (your Medicare Cost Plan pays for emergency services or urgently needed services). You can join a separate Medicare drug plan or you can get drug coverage from the Cost Plan (if offered).

Even if the Cost Plan offers drug coverage, you can choose to get drug coverage from a separate Medicare drug plan. Each plan has its own service area within the U.S. and its territories, which you must live in to enroll. If you live outside the U.S. and its territories, are unlawfully present, or if you’re incarcerated, you’re not eligible to enroll in a plan and can’t get Medicare drug coverage.

You must be lawfully present in the U.S. to be eligible to enroll in a plan.

To have Medicare cover your medications, you must join a Medicare drug plan or Medicare Advantage Plan with drug coverage (also known as MA‐PDs).

If you qualify for Extra Help to pay for your prescription drugs, Medicare will enroll you in a Medicare drug plan unless you decline coverage or join a plan yourself. You can only be a member of one drug plan at a time.