which Part D to choose? confused

[Tybee]

I am confused by the Part D plans and what to choose. My plan went from 10 dollars a month to 45 last year, and now for 2026 it is going up to 95 dollars a month.

I could get a slightly cheaper plan, 82, but it has a higher deductible.

I'm on expensive asthma drugs, but my direct primary care doctor can order medicine at a discount, at least the asthma meds. Not sure about the arthritis meds.

Paying her would be 75 dollars a month for asthma but not sure about the arthritis, and not sure about if something else comes up.

There is a plan for 102 a month that has a really low deductible, and I'd probably meet it the first month.

Last year I thought the premium was high but this year it is nuts.

What are you folks doing with respect to a plan?

[iris lilies]

I will not be helpful at all, but it doesn’t seem to me that I pay much for drugs I use probably the entire thing is under $1000 a year so I’ve never shopped around.

My direct care physician also provides some medication from her office, but I’ve gradually moved everything over to the local pharmacy just because it’s easier for me to have them supplied from one place.

I can’t remember if my direct care physician runs the drugs she supplies through my insurance.

[Tybee]

Thanks, all information is helpful!

[rosarugosa]

Tybee: I have an inexpensive Wellcare plan, although the premium has gone from 50 cents per month in 2024 (I paid the whole year in advance!) to $12.40 per month in 2025, to $16.40 per month in 2026. So that's a pretty steep increase, although still quite cheap comparatively. There is a $615 deductible, however, our cheaper, common generic drugs don't cost us anything out-of-pocket from our local pharmacy. Apparently they are considered Tier 1 - Preferred Generic cost sharing, and this includes my generic Fosamax and my statin.
I get my other medications from Mark Cuban's Cost Plus Pharmacy without using my RX coverage, and this has saved me an awful lot of money. The catch is that they don't have an exhaustive list of drugs, so this doesn't work for everyone.
The best options are going to vary for each individual depending on the medications they need, and of course one can't really anticipate future needs. Good luck with making your choices!

[Tybee]

Tybee: I have an inexpensive Wellcare plan, although the premium has gone from 50 cents per month in 2024 (I paid the whole year in advance!) to $12.40 per month in 2025, to $16.40 per month in 2026. So that's a pretty steep increase, although still quite cheap comparatively. There is a $615 deductible, however, our cheaper, common generic drugs don't cost us anything out-of-pocket from our local pharmacy. Apparently they are considered Tier 1 - Preferred Generic cost sharing, and this includes my generic Fosamax and my statin.
I get my other medications from Mark Cuban's Cost Plus Pharmacy without using my RX coverage, and this has saved me an awful lot of money. The catch is that they don't have an exhaustive list of drugs, so this doesn't work for everyone.
The best options are going to vary for each individual depending on the medications they need, and of course one can't really anticipate future needs. Good luck with making your choices!

Thanks, I will look to see what Wellcare is available in my area and how much. The Mark Cuban thing sounds very smart.

[rosarugosa]

Tybee: There's a lot of good discussion on Bogleheads about prescription plan options.

[Tybee]

Tybee: There's a lot of good discussion on Bogleheads about prescription plan options.

off to explore!

[pinkytoe]

DH has Wellcare 0 premium with high deductible as he doesn't take any meds - yet. It was so hard to enroll at first that he called it Hellcare.

[Tybee]

DH has Wellcare 0 premium with high deductible as he doesn't take any meds - yet. It was so hard to enroll at first that he called it Hellcare.

I'm ruling out the Wellcare plans with 0 premium because the medicines come to 6900 a year on that one.

[iris lilies]

Tybee that is a lot of money for drugs on that WellCare plan.

I don’t know how much my Wellcare monthly premium is and I don’t know how much is going up in the year 2026. I know I’ve paid $400 in co-pays over 12 months. That doesn’t seem like much. I take blood pressure meds and a statin drug.