24 Best Medicare Part D Plans in Connecticut for 2023

We found the 24 best Medicare Part D Plans in Connecticut for 2023.

We also ranked the best Medicare Advantage plans with Part D in Connecticut for 2023.

Connecticut Medicare Part D Plans Have Four Phases

Medicare prescription drug plansMedicare Part D plans are an option Medicare beneficiaries can use to get prescription drug coverage. Part D plans provide cost-sharing on covered medications in four different phases: deductible, initial coverage, coverage gap, and catastrophic. Each... are designed to help Medicare beneficiaries pay for their prescription drugs. Some of the cost-sharing concepts of these plans are foreign to new Medicare beneficiaries, so let's look at the four phases.

The Deductible is the First Phase

The deductible (up to $505 in 2023) is the amount that you pay before your Medicare Part D plan begins paying its share of the costs. So, if you enroll in a 2023 prescription drug plan with a $480 deductible, you'll spend $480 out-of-pocket before cost-sharing coverage begins. Most Medicare Part D plans have a deductible, but some Medicare Part D plans exclude Tier 1 drugs from the deductible, giving immediate coverage on most generic medications.

Phase 2 is the Initial Coverage Limit

The 2023 Initial Coverage LimitOnce you have met your yearly deductible, you will pay a copayment or coinsurance for each covered drug until you reach the initial coverage limit. You will then enter your plan’s coverage gap (aka, “donut... (ICL) is $4,660. The ICL phase is when your Part D plan begins to pay the bulk of the costs. If your prescription costs exceed $4,660, you will enter the Coverage GapA period of time in which you pay higher cost-sharing for prescription drugs until you spend enough to qualify for catastrophic coverage. phase (aka, "donut hole").

Phase 3 is the Coverage Gap

After your gross drug costs have reached $4,660, you will enter the Coverage Gap phase. This is where you will pay 25% of your medication's retail cost. While the price of generic drugsA generic drug is a prescription medication that has the same active ingredient formula as a brand-name drug. Generic drugs usually cost less than brand-name drugs. might not be much different, what you pay for brand-name drugs will be higher (because you're paying 25% of the full price). This will continue until you reach $7,400 in True Out Of Pocket Costs (TrOOP).

Some plans offer additional gap coverage, so look for it on the plan information pages.

Phase 4 is Catastrophic Coverage

After you have spent $7,400 in true out-of-pocket costs on your medications, you get out of the coverage gap phase and you automatically receive "catastrophic coverage". In this phase, you will only have to pay a small percentage of coinsuranceCoinsurance is a percentage of the total you are required to pay for a medical service.  or payment on covered drugs for the rest of the year.

The out-of-pocket costsOut-of-Pocket Costs for Medicare are the remaining costs that are not covered by the beneficiary's health insurance plan. These costs can come from the beneficiary's monthly premiums, deductibles, coinsurance, and copayments. that help you get catastrophic coverage include:

1. Your plan's deductible;
2. What you paid during the initial coverage limit period;
3. Most of the full cost of brand-name drugs (and the manufacturer’s discount) purchased in the coverage gap;
4. The amount paid by others, including family members, most charities, and other persons on your behalf; and
5. The amount paid by State Pharmaceutical Assistance Programs (SPAPs), AIDS Drug Assistance Programs, and the Indian Health Service.

The Lowest Premium May Not Be the Lowest Overall Cost

Evaluate Part D Medicare plans wisely. If you have a regular prescription or two, we suggest that you verify that the plan you want offers your medication(s) at a good price. You find this information in the formularyA formulary is a list of prescription drugs covered by a prescription drug plan or another insurance plan offering prescription drug benefits. Medications not on a plan's formulary are generally not covered.. We post links to the formulary and pharmacy web pages, as well as the plan's phone number, on each of the PDP pages listed above.

VITAL: Identifying the best Medicare Part D Plans requires research. What works the best for you is all about your regular prescriptions (if any), your health, and what you can afford.

Did you Know Most Medicare Advantage Plans Include Prescription Benefits?

Medicare realizes that one type of plan does not suit everyone. That's why there are two ways to get help with your prescription drug costs. All of the Medicare prescription drug plans available in Connecticut work with Original MedicareOriginal Medicare is private fee-for-service health insurance for people on Medicare. It has two parts. Part A is hospital coverage. Part B is medical coverage.. That's one way to get coverage. But maybe you'd like even more benefits. That's where Connecticut Medicare Advantage Plans come in. Most offer Part D coverage.

Combining a Medicare Supplement and Medicare Part D Benefits

Are you thinking about supplemental Medicare insurance that can offer you more coverage? It's a smart move. Original Medicare only covers about 80 percent of your major medical bills, leaving you to cover the rest. We make it easy to find the lowest rates on Connecticut Medicare Supplements, also known as Medigap plans. The choice is yours because all Part D plans are compatible with the full range of Connecticut Medicare SupplementsMedicare Supplements are additional insurance policies that Medicare beneficiaries can purchase to cover the gaps in their Original Medicare (Medicare Part A and Medicare Part B) health insurance coverage..

Getting Medicare Part D with Connecticut Medicaid

In Connecticut, if you are eligible for both Medicare and Medicaid (aka, "dual eligible" or "Medi-Medi") you will automatically be enrolled in a Connecticut Medicare Prescription Drug Plan and the Social Security Extra Help program. Extra Help pays for most of the costs of your prescriptions if you meet the eligibility requirements. You may also enroll in a plan of your own choosing that better meets your needs. If you qualified for MedicaidMedicaid is a public health insurance program that provides health care coverage to low-income families and individuals in the United States. before you were eligible for Medicare, contact your local Medicaid office.

Citations & References

1. Medicare.gov, "How Medicare Prescription Drug Coverage Works with a Medicare Advantage Plan or Medicare Cost Plan", Last Accessed September 28, 2022
2. Benefits.gov, "Medicare Prescription Drug Plans", Last Accessed September 1, 2022
3. Medicare.gov, "Medicare costs at a glance", Last Accessed September 11, 2022
4. Medicare.gov, "What's Medicare Supplement Insurance (Medigap)?", Last Accessed June 7, 2022
5. SSA.gov, "Extra Help with Medicare Prescription Drug Plan Costs", Last Accessed June 1, 2022
6. CMS.gov, "Landscape Source Files", Last Accessed January 15, 2023
7. CMS.gov, "Medicare Part C & D Performance", Last Accessed January 15, 2023

This Medicare Part D plan state information page was last updated on January 19, 2023.