What does Medicare cover for prescriptions?

This is one of the most important things to understand early: original Medicare was designed long before prescription drug coverage was part of the picture. Parts A and B cover very few drugs, mainly ones given directly in a hospital or doctor's office, like infusions or injections administered during a medical visit.For the drugs you pick up at a pharmacy, you need Part D. Part D is a standalone prescription drug plan you add to Original Medicare. Alternatively, if you choose a Medicare Advantage plan (sometimes called Part C), most of those plans bundle drug coverage in.Every Part D plan has a formulary, which is simply a list of covered drugs. Plans group drugs into tiers, and your cost depends on which tier your medication falls into. Lower tiers usually mean lower costs, higher tiers can get expensive. Not every drug is on every plan's formulary, so checking that your specific medications are covered is one of the most important things you can do before enrolling.Starting in 2025, a significant change took effect: out-of-pocket costs for Part D drugs are capped at $2,000 per year. That's a meaningful protection for people on expensive medications. Premiums, deductibles, and formularies vary by plan and change annually, so comparing plans each fall during open enrollment can save real money.