Best Medicare Part D Plans for Maine Beneficiaries in 2024

We found the 24 best Medicare Part D Plans in Maine. Sign-up for 2024 Medicare Part D plan notification HERE.

We also ranked the best Medicare Advantage plans with Part D in Maine for 2024.

Every Part D Plan in Maine Has 4 Cost Phases

Maine Medicare prescription drug plans help beneficiaries pay for their prescription medications. If you are new to Medicare, some of the Part D plan concepts may be foreign to you. So we'll start with an overview of the four cost-sharing phases.

Phase 1 is the Deductible

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 Part D ICL (Initial Coverage Limit) for 2023 is $4,660. During the ICL phase, your Part D plan will cover the majority of your prescription costs. If your prescription costs exceed $4,660 you go into the coverage gap phase ("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 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.

Catastrophic Coverage is the Fourth Phase

All Part D plans offer catastrophic coverage once you have paid $7,400 in true out-of-pocket costs for covered drugs. This amount includes the cost of covered drugs as well as some additional costs. In the catastrophic coverage phase, your copays or coinsurance will be significantly lower for the remainder of the year.

The out-of-pocket costs 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.

Choose Your Part D Plan Wisely

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 formulary. 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.

IMPORTANT: Identifying the best Medicare Part D Plans for you takes a bit of research. What's best for you is personal and must consider multiple factors, including your regular prescriptions, your health, and your finances.

Did you Know Most Medicare Advantage Plans Include Prescription Benefits?

Your Medicare benefits are flexible, and there's more than one way to get prescription drug coverage. If you want to keep your Original Medicare, you can enroll in one of the stand-alone prescription drug plans available in Maine. The other way to get Part D coverage is to enroll in one of the many Medicare Advantage Plans available in Maine that include Part D benefits.

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 Maine Medicare Supplements, also known as Medigap plans. The choice is yours because all Part D plans are compatible with the full range of Maine Medicare Supplements.

Getting Medicare Part D with Maine Medicaid

If you meet the requirements for both Medicare and Medicaid (aka, "dual eligible" or "Medi-Medi") in Maine, you will automatically receive a Medicare Prescription Drug Plan, as well as Extra Help from Social Security. If you qualify for Extra Help, the program will cover most of the costs of your prescriptions. Even if you qualify, the dual eligible option may not suit your needs. In this case, enroll in the prescription drug plan of your choice. If you receive Medicaid now, call your local Medicaid office for assistance with your dual eligible benefits.

Plans Offered

Medicare Advantage and Part D plans and benefits offered by the following carriers: Aetna Medicare, Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield, Aspire Health Plan, Centene Corporation, Dean Health Plan, Devoted Health, GlobalHealth, Health Care Service Corporation, Cigna-HealthSpring, Humana, Molina Healthcare, Mutual of Omaha, Oscar Health Insurance, Premera Blue Cross, Medica Central Health Plan, SCAN Health Plan, Scott and White Health Plan now part of Baylor Scott & White Health, and UnitedHealthcare.

Citations & References

1. Medicare.gov, "How to get prescription drug coverage", Last Accessed September 3, 2022
2. Medicare.gov, "How Part D works with other insurance", Last Accessed July 14, 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