I can't afford my medicine — what can I do?
Do not skip doses or cut pills in half — call your pharmacist today and ask three questions: is there a cheaper generic, can you get an emergency supply, and what is the cash price with a discount card, then apply for Extra Help, which caps what most people pay for covered drugs.
What this means
- Pharmacists can often lower the price the same day by switching to a generic, changing the day supply, or using a discount card that beats your insurance copay.
- Extra Help is the lasting fix. It is a federal subsidy through Social Security that sharply lowers what you pay for covered prescriptions under Medicare Part D.
- If the cost is a single expensive drug rather than the whole list, the drug maker's own patient assistance program may supply it free.
What to do first
- Call the pharmacy counter now and ask for a cheaper generic, an emergency supply to get you through the week, and the cash price with a discount card.
- Apply for Extra Help with Social Security. It takes about ten minutes and asks about income and savings only.
- Ask Medicare about the Medicare Prescription Payment Plan, which spreads your yearly drug costs into equal monthly amounts instead of one large hit.
- Call your free SHIP counselor to check whether a different Part D plan covers your exact drugs for less.
Extra Help with Medicare Prescription Drug Costs (Low-Income Subsidy)
Cuts your prescription costs to a few dollars a drug and removes your Part D premium and deductible.
Medicare Prescription Payment Plan (M3P)
Spreads what you owe for prescriptions across the year in equal monthly payments, with no interest and no fee.
State Pharmaceutical Assistance Programs
About a dozen states run their own prescription help on top of Medicare Part D.
What you'll need
- Your prescription bottles or a written list with the exact drug names and doses
- Your Medicare card and Part D plan card
- Your income and savings amounts for the Extra Help application
Deadlines and timing
- Never stop a heart, blood pressure, insulin, or seizure medicine to save money. Call the prescriber and say plainly that you cannot afford it — they can often switch you to something cheaper the same day.
Where to go
- Your pharmacy counter, in person or by phone. Ask for the pharmacist, not the technician.
- Extra Help: https://www.ssa.gov/medicare/part-d-extra-help or 1-800-772-1213.
- Free SHIP counseling near you: https://www.shiphelp.org/SHIPs/
Reviewed by Jason Burns, Editorial Steward · Last verified August 26, 2026
Sources
- Extra Help with Medicare prescription drug costs · Social Security Administration
- Medicare Prescription Payment Plan · Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
Every program on this site is free to apply for. Anyone who asks you to pay to apply, or to “unlock” a government benefit, is a scam — hang up and call Senior Medicare Patrol or 211.
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