Medicare Part D
How the Part D Coverage Gap Ends for Wichita Seniors
Starting January 1, 2026, no one with a Medicare Part D plan will pay more than $2,100 out of pocket for covered prescription drugs in a calendar year. Once you hit that limit, your covered medicines cost you $0 for the rest of the year.
Compare Medicare Part D options near you
Answer 3 quick questions to see Medicare Part D listings from licensed insurance partners.
What’s your ZIP code?
Plan availability is set by your county, so we start here.
How old are you?
This helps match you with options you’re eligible for.
Do you have Medicare Parts A & B?
This affects which Medicare Part D options you can choose.
These listings are provided by licensed insurance partners.
Will your prescriptions still be covered in 2027?
Part D plans rewrite their drug lists every year — tiers move, pharmacies change, drugs drop off. One call checks your exact medications against the 2027 plans in your area.
- Every prescription checked, name by name
- Your pharmacy checked for preferred pricing
Available now — current wait: 0 min
A real person answers. No phone menu, ever.
Advertising disclosure: MyMedicarePlans.org may be compensated when you contact a partner or licensed agent. Listings are not ranked or endorsed by us, and we do not recommend specific plans. You can also contact Medicare.gov, 1-800-MEDICARE, or your local SHIP.
Speak to a Licensed Insurance Agent
Click to call 855-729-3240
Key takeaways
- Medicare Part D out-of-pocket drug costs are capped each year ($2,100 in 2026, $2,400 in 2027), after which covered medicines cost nothing for the rest of the year.
- The cap covers your deductible, copays, and coinsurance for covered drugs, but not your monthly premium or drugs your plan doesn't cover.
- As of 2025, the old coverage gap (donut hole) is gone, leaving Part D with just three phases: deductible, initial coverage, and catastrophic.
- Medicare's optional Prescription Payment Plan lets you pay $0 at the pharmacy and instead spread your drug costs into monthly bills from your plan across the rest of the year.
Wichita, Kan. — A big change for anyone paying for prescriptions
That is the single biggest change to Medicare's drug benefit in years, and it lands right in the middle of Annual Enrollment (October 15 – December 7, 2026), when people in Wichita are picking their 2027 coverage. If you or a family member takes expensive medications, this is the year to read your plan paperwork carefully.
What the $2,100 cap actually covers
The cap applies to what you spend out of pocket on covered Part D drugs — that includes your deductible and copays or coinsurance on medicines your plan covers. It does not include your monthly Part D premium, and it does not include drugs your plan does not cover.
A few key Part D numbers for 2027, straight from Medicare:
- Out-of-pocket cap: $2,400
- Maximum Part D deductible a plan can charge: $700
- IRMAA (income-related surcharge) starts above: $109,000 for a single filer
Plans can set a deductible lower than $700, and many do. Your specific costs depend on the plan you pick and the drugs you take.
Goodbye, "donut hole"
If you've been on Medicare for a while, you probably remember the coverage gap, also called the donut hole — the stretch where your drug costs suddenly jumped after you and your plan had spent a certain amount together.
That gap is gone. As of 2025, Part D has just three phases: the deductible phase, the initial coverage phase, and the catastrophic phase (where you pay nothing after hitting the annual cap). In 2027, that cap is $2,400.
For people who used to dread hitting the donut hole in the summer, this is a real simplification.
The Medicare Prescription Payment Plan: spreading costs out
Even with the annual cap, some people hit big drug bills early in the year — a large charge in January, for example, can be tough on a fixed income.
Medicare now offers an optional program called the Medicare Prescription Payment Plan. Instead of paying the pharmacy in one lump when you fill a prescription, you pay $0 at the counter, and your Part D plan bills you monthly for what you owe, spread across the rest of the year.
A few things to know:
- It's optional. You have to opt in through your Part D plan.
- It does not lower what you owe — it just spreads it out.
- It may help most if you have a high-cost prescription early in the year.
- It may not be the right fit if your drug costs are low or spread evenly across the year.
You can sign up before the plan year starts or any month during the year. If you're not sure whether it fits your situation, your plan or a SHIP counselor (details below) can walk you through it.
Mistakes to avoid this fall in Wichita
Wichita is in Sedgwick County, where a range of stand-alone Part D plans and Medicare Advantage plans with drug coverage are offered for 2026. A few common tripwires to watch for during Annual Enrollment:
- Not re-checking your drug list. Plans update their formularies every year. A drug that was covered cheaply in 2026 may sit on a different tier in 2027.
- Assuming the $2,100 cap makes the plan choice not matter. It still matters — a lot. The cap is the ceiling, but your monthly premium, deductible, tier placement, and pharmacy network all affect what you actually pay to reach that ceiling.
- Forgetting the deadlines. Annual Enrollment ends December 7. If you're in a Medicare Advantage plan, you also have a Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period from January 1 to March 31 to make one change.
- Skipping the payment plan question. If you have a costly prescription, ask whether the Medicare Prescription Payment Plan makes sense for you.
By the numbers
Medicare Part B premium, 2006–2026
The standard monthly Part B premium has climbed from $88.50 in 2006 to $202.90 in 2026. Hover any point for that year’s premium.
Source: CMS. Standard premium shown; in some hold-harmless years many existing enrollees paid less. Confirm at Medicare.gov.
By the numbers
How people get Medicare in Sedgwick County
(MA penetration in Sedgwick County)
MA penetration from CMS enrollment data; Medigap share is an estimate. U.S. average is about 54% Medicare Advantage. These are area-level figures, not plan-specific.
Prescription coverage
How Medicare Part D works in 2027
The old coverage gap (“donut hole”) is eliminated as of 2025 (three phases now). There’s now a hard yearly cap of $2,100 on what you pay out of pocket for covered drugs, and you can spread those costs across the year with the Medicare Prescription Payment Plan.
Try it
How the 2026 Part D drug cap works
Slide to your estimated yearly prescription costs and see how the new $2,100 out-of-pocket cap protects you. This illustrates the standard Part D benefit; your plan may structure costs differently.
Once your out-of-pocket spending on covered drugs reaches $2,100, you pay nothing more for the rest of 2026. Confirm details at Medicare.gov.
Explore
When can you enroll? An interactive year
Enrollment windows are federal and the same nationwide. Confirm your personal dates at Medicare.gov or 1-800-MEDICARE.
Good to know
Frequently asked questions
Does the $2,100 cap include my Part D premium?
What if my drug isn't on my plan's formulary?
Do I have to sign up for the Prescription Payment Plan?
- CMS — Medicare Part D program rules (medicare.gov)
For personalized answers, contact Medicare.gov, 1-800-MEDICARE, or your local SHIP.