Medicare Part D

Extra Help in 2027: Lower Part D Costs for Weymouth Seniors

WEYMOUTH, Mass. — Prescription drug prices remain one of the biggest worries for older adults on a fixed income. If you live in Weymouth and take several medications, there's a federal program that can quietly do a lot of the heavy lifting: the Low-Income Subsidy, better known as Extra Help.

Extra Help lowers what you pay for your Medicare Part D prescription drug plan — including premiums, deductibles, and the copays you pay at the pharmacy counter. And it works alongside the annual cap on out-of-pocket drug costs that applies to everyone with Part D: $2,100 in 2026, rising to $2,400 in 2027.

Here's what Weymouth residents should know before the Annual Enrollment Period closes on December 7.

What Extra Help actually does

Extra Help is run by Social Security and pays for a big chunk of your Part D drug costs. People who qualify pay much less at the pharmacy — and in many cases nothing for their monthly plan premium, depending on which Part D plan they're in.

According to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Extra Help is now a full subsidy for everyone who qualifies. Congress expanded it in 2024, eliminating the old "partial" subsidy tier. That means if you meet the income and resource limits, you get the full benefit — not a scaled-down version.

Who qualifies in 2027

Eligibility is based on two things: your income and your resources (savings and certain assets).

For 2025 — the figures used to screen applications until Social Security updates them — you generally qualify if:

• Your annual income is at or below 150% of the federal poverty level (roughly $23,475 for a single person and $31,725 for a married couple living together, higher in Alaska and Hawaii).
• Your resources are at or below about $17,600 for an individual or $35,130 for a married couple. Resources include money in checking, savings, stocks, and bonds — but not your home, one car, burial plots, or household items.

Some people get Extra Help automatically and don't need to apply. That includes anyone who has both Medicare and full Medicaid (MassHealth in Massachusetts), gets Supplemental Security Income (SSI), or is enrolled in a Medicare Savings Program. If you fall into one of those groups, Medicare will send you a letter.

How Extra Help fits with Part D changes in 2027

Even if you don't qualify for Extra Help, Part D itself is changing in ways that help everyone:

• An out-of-pocket cap. Once your covered drug spending hits the annual cap — $2,100 in 2026 and $2,400 in 2027 — you pay $0 for the rest of the year on covered drugs.
• A maximum deductible. Plans can charge less, but not more. The ceiling is $615 in 2026 and $700 in 2027.
• The "donut hole" is gone. Since 2025, Part D has three simpler phases: deductible, initial coverage, and catastrophic (where you pay nothing).
• The Medicare Prescription Payment Plan. This optional program lets you spread your drug costs across the calendar year in monthly installments instead of paying big bills at the pharmacy. You can sign up through your Part D plan.

Extra Help layers on top of all of this, pushing costs down further for those who qualify.

Weymouth and Norfolk County resources

Weymouth is in Norfolk County, where Medicare beneficiaries have a range of stand-alone Part D plans and Medicare Advantage plans with drug coverage to choose from during Open Enrollment. The number of available plans changes each year, so it's worth checking medicare.gov's Plan Finder before December 7.

For free, unbiased help — not a sales call — reach out to SHINE (Serving the Health Insurance Needs of Everyone), which is Massachusetts' State Health Insurance Assistance Program. SHINE counselors can screen you for Extra Help, MassHealth, and Medicare Savings Programs in one sitting.

How to apply

There's no cost to apply, and you can apply any time — you don't have to wait for a Medicare enrollment window.

1. Online: ssa.gov/medicare/part-d-extra-help 2. By phone: Call Social Security at 1-800-772-1213 (TTY 1-800-325-0778). 3. In person: Visit your local Social Security office. Bring statements for bank accounts, investments, and any income you receive. 4. With help: Call SHINE through the Massachusetts Executive Office of Elder Affairs at 1-800-243-4636.

If you're denied, you can appeal — and you can reapply any time your income or resources change.

Deadlines to keep in mind

• October 15 – December 7, 2026: Medicare Annual Enrollment Period. This is when you can join, switch, or drop a Part D or Medicare Advantage plan for 2027.
• January 1 – March 31: Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period, for people already in a Medicare Advantage plan who want to switch once.
• Anytime: People who qualify for Extra Help get a Special Enrollment Period that lets them change Part D plans once per calendar quarter during the first three quarters of the year.