Medicare Part D Extra Help (also called the Low-Income Subsidy, or LIS) is a federal program that helps people with limited income and resources pay their Medicare prescription drug (Part D) costs in 2026, including premiums, deductibles, and copays.

What Extra Help Does in 2026

  • Reduces or eliminates your Part D monthly premium for certain ā€œbenchmarkā€ plans, often making them $0 if you qualify.
  • Eliminates the Part D annual deductible, so you do not have to meet a deductible before coverage begins.
  • Capps what you pay at the pharmacy for covered drugs; most people with Extra Help will pay only small fixed copays for generics and brandā€‘name drugs.

2026 Costs With Extra Help

  • For most Extra Help enrollees in 2026, copays are no more than about $5.10 for generics and $12.65 for brandā€‘name drugs per prescription the plan covers.
  • People with the very lowest incomes (around or below 100% of the federal poverty level) may pay even lower copays, such as about $1.60 for generics and $4.90 for brands, especially if they also have Medicaid or certain Medicare Savings Programs.
  • Once your outā€‘ofā€‘pocket drug spending reaches the 2026 catastrophic threshold (about $2,100 in covered drug costs), you pay no copays for the rest of the year.

Who Can Qualify

You generally must:

  • Be enrolled in Medicare and have, or be eligible for, a Part D prescription drug plan (standā€‘alone drug plan or Medicare Advantage plan with drug coverage).
  • Have income and resources under set limits; many explanations describe eligibility as up to about 150% of the federal poverty level for full or partial Extra Help.
  • Some people qualify automatically if they have full Medicaid, a Medicare Savings Program, or Supplemental Security Income (SSI).

How Extra Help Affects Your Part D Plan

  • Extra Help can be used with either Original Medicare plus a Part D plan or a Medicare Advantage plan that includes drug coverage.
  • If you qualify, you can enroll in a ā€œbenchmarkā€ Part D plan that charges a premium at or below the Medicare benchmark amount for your area (about $58.82 in 2026), often giving you a $0 plan premium.
  • Extra Help also typically waives any Part D lateā€‘enrollment penalty, which can otherwise increase your costs long term.

How to Apply or Get Help

  • You can apply through Social Security (online, by phone, or in person) or through your state Medicaid office; both routes are routinely used to request Extra Help.
  • Local counseling programs (often called SHIP, SHINE, or similar) and nonprofit organizations that focus on older adults can help you review your medications and pick a Part D plan that works best with Extra Help.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.