Struggling to Afford Your Prescriptions? 'Extra Help' Could Wipe Out the Cost

Extra Help — its formal name is the Part D Low-Income Subsidy — is a federal program that helps people with limited income and savings pay for their Medicare prescription drugs. It can cover your drug plan's monthly premium, wipe out the yearly deductible, and drop your copays to just a few dollars a prescription. Many people who qualify end up paying nothing for their drug plan and nothing at the deductible.

Here's what changed, and why it's worth a fresh look: the Inflation Reduction Act expanded the FULL benefit to everyone who qualifies with income up to 150% of the federal poverty level. That took effect January 1, 2024. Before that, people in that range got only a partial benefit — now they get the whole thing.

It is completely free to apply, you apply through Social Security, and you can do it any time — before or after you join a drug plan.

The single most common thing I hear is 'I make too much to qualify.' A lot of the time, that's simply not true anymore — and it's the reason I bring this up with almost everyone. The income and savings limits are higher than most people assume, and the 2024 change pulled in a whole group who used to be told no. If money is tight, it costs you nothing but a little time to find out for sure.

This matters most alongside that new $2,100 yearly cap on drug costs. The cap protects you from a catastrophic year; Extra Help lowers what you pay all year long, from the very first prescription. For someone on a fixed income, that combination can be the difference between taking your medication as prescribed and rationing it.

I've sat with people who quietly skipped pills for years because they were embarrassed to ask, or assumed they wouldn't qualify. There is no shame in this — it's a benefit you've paid into your whole working life. My job is just to help you check.

• You have Medicare and a limited or fixed monthly income
• You've ever skipped, split, or delayed a prescription because of the cost
• You were told years ago that you 'made too much' to qualify — the rules changed in 2024
• You're helping a parent or relative on Medicare who's tight on money
• You already have Medicaid, Supplemental Security Income (SSI), or a Medicare Savings Program — you likely get Extra Help automatically, and it's worth confirming

1. 1Apply through Social Security — online at ssa.gov/extrahelp, by phone, or at a local Social Security office. It's free, and there's no penalty for applying even if you don't qualify.
2. 2Don't rule yourself out on a guess. The savings and income limits are higher than most people expect, and they change each year — let Social Security check your actual numbers.
3. 3Have a rough idea of your income and savings handy when you apply; they'll ask for that financial information.
4. 4If you'd rather not do it alone, reach out and we'll walk through it together and make sure it's filled out right.