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Best Medicare Part D Prescription Drug Plans in 2023
These Medicare Part D plans stand out for member satisfaction, low premiums, high value and $0-copay and $0-deductible options.
Alex Rosenberg Lead Writer | Medicare, health care, legislation
Alex Rosenberg is a NerdWallet writer focusing on Medicare and information technology. He has more than 10 years of experience researching and writing about health care, insurance, technology, data privacy and public policy. His research has supported lawmakers in the Wisconsin State Legislature as well as health systems and national health authorities in the U.S. and more than 10 other countries. He is based in Stoughton, Wisconsin.
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Dawnielle Robinson-Walker spent 16 years as a college English instructor, teaching creative writing and African-American literature before she began writing and editing for various companies and online publications. Prior to joining NerdWallet, she was an editor at Hallmark Cards and a contributing writer at Forbes Health.
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Medicare Part D plans cover prescription drugs. Medicare beneficiaries with Medicare Part A and/or Part B are eligible to buy a Part D plan to add prescription drug coverage to Original Medicare
. If you don’t buy a Medicare Part D plan or a Medicare Advantage plan with prescription drug coverage, you’re responsible for the full cost of your medications, and there are permanent cost penalties if you sign up late
Many Medicare Advantage plans, also called Medicare Part C plans, offer prescription drug coverage, so generally only Original Medicare members need to shop for a separate Part D plan. You can’t combine most types of Medicare Advantage plans with a stand-alone Medicare Part D plan
Unlike Medicare Part A and Part B, Part D plans are sold by private insurance companies, and the plans’ costs, benefits and other features can vary significantly. It’s important to confirm whether a plan covers your prescription drugs, then you’ll want to consider each plan’s strengths and weaknesses.
NerdWallet compares and evaluates Medicare prescription drug plans based on factors including quality ratings from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), prices, cost-sharing requirements, formulary design and more.
Here’s how the top Medicare Part D plans for 2023 stand out:
Best for member satisfaction: AARP/UnitedHealthcare Medicare Part D
AARP/UnitedHealthcare
3.21
CMS Star RatingAverage Medicare star rating, weighted by enrollment. Star ratings are determined by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS).
AARP/UnitedHealthcare Medicare Part D plans are widely available and get average quality ratings from CMS, especially for member satisfaction. Pricing for the highest-coverage plan can get expensive, however, and ratings for helping members with their medications aren't as strong.
Out-of-pocket costsBased on how frequent and how high a company's copays, coinsurance and deductibles are in comparison to other insurance companies.
Average
Member experienceThe average of CMS' star ratings for quality measures in the domain "Member Experience with the Drug Plan," weighted by contract enrollment.
3.12 (Average)
Pros
Available everywhere in the U.S. and in several U.S. territories.
Few complaints and few members choosing to leave.
Copays rather than coinsurance for Tier 1-3 drugs in most plans.
Cons
Below-average ratings for helping members fill and manage prescriptions.
$0-copay options available only with the most expensive plan.
Competitors have cheaper high-coverage plans, on average.
Out-of-pocket costsBased on how frequent and how high a company's copays, coinsurance and deductibles are in comparison to other insurance companies.
Average
Member experienceThe average of CMS' star ratings for quality measures in the domain "Member Experience with the Drug Plan," weighted by contract enrollment.
3.12 (Average)
Pros
Available everywhere in the U.S. and in several U.S. territories.
Few complaints and few members choosing to leave.
Copays rather than coinsurance for Tier 1-3 drugs in most plans.
Cons
Below-average ratings for helping members fill and manage prescriptions.
$0-copay options available only with the most expensive plan.
Competitors have cheaper high-coverage plans, on average.
Average Medicare Part D star rating, weighted by enrollment: 3.21 stars
Call center foreign language interpreter and TTY availability.
Medicare plan finder price accuracy.
Few members choosing to leave the plan.
Standout feature: AARP/UnitedHealthcare Medicare Part D plans get few complaints, have few members that choose to leave and outperform several competitors on surveys about members’ experience with the plan
Company overview: More than 4 million Medicare beneficiaries have AARP/UnitedHealthcare prescription drug plans — the third-highest total among Part D insurance companies
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. PDP Plan Directory. Accessed Feb 22, 2023.
AARP/UnitedHealthcare Medicare Part D plans are widely available and get solid quality ratings from CMS, especially for measures of member satisfaction
. Pricing for the highest-coverage AARP/UnitedHealthcare Part D plan can get expensive, however, and the plans’ ratings for helping members with their medications aren't as strong
AARP/UHC plans trailed the national average on quality measures related to making sure members are filling their prescriptions and managing their drugs
The AARP MedicareRx Preferred plan has a lot of coverage, but its average monthly premium is higher than that of similar high-coverage options from competitors
CMS Star RatingAverage Medicare star rating, weighted by enrollment. Star ratings are determined by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS).
Aetna has more Medicare Part D members than any other company. Its premiums are among the lowest on the market, but other costs like copays and coinsurance can add up quickly.
Out-of-pocket costsBased on how frequent and how high a company's copays, coinsurance and deductibles are in comparison to other insurance companies.
Higher than average
Member experienceThe average of CMS' star ratings for quality measures in the domain "Member Experience with the Drug Plan," weighted by contract enrollment.
2.0 (Below average)
Pros
SilverScript SmartSaver plan has the lowest average monthly premium on the market.
Identical cost-sharing for in-person and mail-order prescription fills.
Rated well by CMS for year-over-year quality improvement.
Cons
Higher copays and coinsurance might outweigh low premiums.
Weak ratings for helping members get and take medications.
$0-deductible drugs no longer available in the SilverScript Choice plan.
Out-of-pocket costsBased on how frequent and how high a company's copays, coinsurance and deductibles are in comparison to other insurance companies.
Higher than average
Member experienceThe average of CMS' star ratings for quality measures in the domain "Member Experience with the Drug Plan," weighted by contract enrollment.
2.0 (Below average)
Pros
SilverScript SmartSaver plan has the lowest average monthly premium on the market.
Identical cost-sharing for in-person and mail-order prescription fills.
Rated well by CMS for year-over-year quality improvement.
Cons
Higher copays and coinsurance might outweigh low premiums.
Weak ratings for helping members get and take medications.
$0-deductible drugs no longer available in the SilverScript Choice plan.
Average Medicare Part D star rating, weighted by enrollment: 3.5 stars
. It’s owned by parent company CVS Health and sells prescription drug plans under the SilverScript brand name.
Aetna's Part D premiums are among the lowest on the market, but you’ll need to look carefully at the copay and coinsurance requirements to see whether you’ll save money overall
Best for affordable high-coverage plans: Cigna Medicare Part D
Cigna
3.52
CMS Star RatingAverage Medicare star rating, weighted by enrollment. Star ratings are determined by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS).
Among the five largest Medicare Part D companies, Cigna has the highest average summary star rating, weighted by enrollment, from CMS. And if you’re looking for a high-coverage Medicare Part D plan, Cigna offers some of the lowest prices, on average.
Out-of-pocket costsBased on how frequent and how high a company's copays, coinsurance and deductibles are in comparison to other insurance companies.
Lower than average
Member experienceThe average of CMS' star ratings for quality measures in the domain "Member Experience with the Drug Plan," weighted by contract enrollment.
4.02 (Above average)
Pros
Beats competitors' prices for high-coverage plans, on average.
All plans have $0-copays and/or $0-deductibles for certain drugs (specifics vary by plan).
Cons
Below-average performance helping members with chronic conditions get and take medications.
Lowest copays might require ordering 90-day supplies by mail.
Out-of-pocket costsBased on how frequent and how high a company's copays, coinsurance and deductibles are in comparison to other insurance companies.
Lower than average
Member experienceThe average of CMS' star ratings for quality measures in the domain "Member Experience with the Drug Plan," weighted by contract enrollment.
4.02 (Above average)
Pros
Beats competitors' prices for high-coverage plans, on average.
All plans have $0-copays and/or $0-deductibles for certain drugs (specifics vary by plan).
Cons
Below-average performance helping members with chronic conditions get and take medications.
Lowest copays might require ordering 90-day supplies by mail.
Average Medicare Part D star rating, weighted by enrollment: 3.52 stars
Cigna trailed the national average on quality measures related to helping members with conditions like diabetes, high cholesterol and hypertension get and take their medications
Best for $0 out-of-pocket options: Humana Medicare Part D
Humana
3.02
CMS Star RatingAverage Medicare star rating, weighted by enrollment. Star ratings are determined by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS).
Several Humana plans offer $0 copays and $0 deductibles for certain generic drugs. However, coinsurance for brand-name drugs could lead to higher out-of-pocket costs, and Humana gets below-average star ratings from CMS.
Out-of-pocket costsBased on how frequent and how high a company's copays, coinsurance and deductibles are in comparison to other insurance companies.
Varies
Member experienceThe average of CMS' star ratings for quality measures in the domain "Member Experience with the Drug Plan," weighted by contract enrollment.
3.0 (Average)
Pros
Multiple $0-copay and/or $0-deductible plan options.
Above-average ratings for helping members manage their medications.
Cons
Coinsurance rather than copays for many drugs can get expensive.
Below-average ratings on nine out of 12 Part D quality measures.
Out-of-pocket costsBased on how frequent and how high a company's copays, coinsurance and deductibles are in comparison to other insurance companies.
Varies
Member experienceThe average of CMS' star ratings for quality measures in the domain "Member Experience with the Drug Plan," weighted by contract enrollment.
3.0 (Average)
Pros
Multiple $0-copay and/or $0-deductible plan options.
Above-average ratings for helping members manage their medications.
Cons
Coinsurance rather than copays for many drugs can get expensive.
Below-average ratings on nine out of 12 Part D quality measures.
Average Medicare Part D star rating, weighted by enrollment: 3.02 stars
. Humana’s Walmart Value Rx and Premier Rx plans have $0 deductibles for certain drugs, and its Basic Rx and Premier Rx plans have $0 copays for certain drugs
Find the right Medicare Part D prescription drug plan
The interactive tool on Medicare.gov can help you find a Medicare Part D plan that covers your prescriptions. It also helps you compare costs among Medicare Part D and Medicare Advantage plans available to you.
Here are some things to keep in mind when comparing plans:
Check the formulary: You’ll want to make sure the medicines you currently take and, importantly, any you think you might need in the future, are covered under each of the plans you’re considering. Talk to your health care providers about what brand-name and generic medicines to look for and any alternatives that may also work in case you can’t find your current medicines on the plans available in your area.
Look for plan changes: Formularies change frequently. Your insurer should send you a Notice of Plan Change when the formulary changes. Read that document carefully.
Check the pharmacy network: Most Medicare Part D plans negotiate with a network of pharmacies for the lowest cost. Check to see if your pharmacy or an equally convenient one is in the plan’s network. Also, compare prices for using mail order.
If your plan does change, and the change affects the prescription drugs you need, you can switch plans during Medicare's open enrollment period, Oct. 15 to Dec. 7. Changes go into effect on the following Jan. 1.
