Medicare Part D
Kearney Medicare Part D: Cap, Gap, and Payment Plan
By the numbers
Compare Medicare options near you
Answer 3 quick questions to see Medicare Advantage, Medigap, and 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?
Most Medicare Advantage and Medigap options require both.
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.
Want to see more plan options?
Answer a few more questions to continue to additional options from licensed partners.
Continue →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
- (takeaway) Part D drug plans now have three cost phases, and in 2027 no plan's deductible can be higher than $700.
- (takeaway) Once you spend $2,400 out of pocket on covered drugs in 2027, you pay nothing for the rest of the year's covered prescriptions, though this cap doesn't include your monthly premium.
- The Medicare Prescription Payment Plan lets you spread out-of-pocket drug costs into monthly payments across the year, but it does not lower your total cost.
- If your income is above $109,000 as a single filer, you'll pay an IRMAA surcharge on top of your Part B and Part D premiums in 2026.
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 Buffalo County
(MA penetration in Buffalo 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.
(heading) KEARNEY, Neb. — What changes for your drug coverage in 2027
(body) If you take prescription medicines, Medicare Part D is the part of your coverage that helps pay for them. For 2027, a few important numbers and rules are worth knowing before the Annual Enrollment Period ends on December 7, 2026. The good news: Part D is simpler than it used to be. The old "donut hole" is gone, and there's now a firm yearly limit on what you pay out of pocket for covered drugs.
Here in Kearney — and across Buffalo County, where plan availability is set — the basic rules are the same as anywhere else in the country. What differs from person to person is which drugs you take, which pharmacy you use, and which plan fits your list.
(heading) The three phases of Part D in 2027
Since 2025, Part D has three phases instead of four. Here's how a plan year works:
(body) 1. Deductible phase. You pay the full negotiated price for your drugs until you meet your plan's deductible. In 2027, no Part D plan can set a deductible higher than $700. Some plans set it lower, and some cover certain drug tiers before you meet it.
2. Initial coverage phase. After the deductible, you pay a copay or a percentage (coinsurance) for each prescription, and your plan pays the rest.
3. Catastrophic phase. Once your out-of-pocket spending on covered drugs hits $2,100 in 2026 ($2,400 in 2027) for the year, you pay $0 for the rest of your covered prescriptions that year. This is the annual cap, and it's new as of 2025 — 2026 is the second year it applies.
Source: CMS — Medicare Part D program rules (medicare.gov).
The $2,100 cap, in plain English
(body) The $2,400 figure is the most-you'll-pay ceiling for covered Part D drugs in 2027. It includes what you pay toward the deductible and your share during the initial coverage phase. It does not include your monthly premium, and it only counts drugs that are on your plan's formulary (its covered drug list).
If your medicines are expensive, you may hit that cap partway through the year — and then pay nothing more for covered drugs until January.
The Medicare Prescription Payment Plan
Hitting the cap is helpful, but the bills can still land in one heavy month — say, a $600 fill in February. That's where the Medicare Prescription Payment Plan comes in. It's an optional program that lets you spread your out-of-pocket drug costs across the rest of the calendar year in monthly payments, instead of paying the pharmacy all at once.
It doesn't lower your total cost. It just smooths it out. You can opt in through your Part D plan; details are on medicare.gov.
A quick note on IRMAA
Most people pay only their plan's Part D premium. But if your income is above certain levels, Medicare adds a surcharge called IRMAA (Income-Related Monthly Adjustment Amount) to your Part B and Part D premiums. For 2026, the IRMAA surcharge begins above $109,000 in income for a single filer (higher for joint filers). Social Security uses your tax return from two years earlier to decide.
How to decide in Kearney
Part D plans are offered by private insurance companies approved by Medicare, and availability is set at the county level. Kearney is in Buffalo County, where Nebraska residents can compare the Part D and Medicare Advantage plans available to their address using the Plan Finder at medicare.gov.
When you compare, here's what actually matters for your wallet:
- Your drug list. Enter every medication you take, with the exact dose. A plan that looks cheap can be expensive if it doesn't cover one of your drugs.
- Your pharmacies. Plans have preferred and standard pharmacies. Using a preferred one usually costs less.
- The full year, not the premium alone. Premium + deductible + copays across 12 months tells the real story.
- Star Ratings. Medicare rates plans from 1 to 5 stars on things like customer service and drug pricing accuracy. Ratings are one data point among several.
The Annual Enrollment Period runs October 15 through December 7 each year. If you're already in a Medicare Advantage plan, you also have the Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period from January 1 to March 31 to make one change.
Prescription coverage
(heading) How Medicare Part D works in 2027
(body; context) The old coverage gap (“donut hole”) was eliminated as of 2025 (three phases now). The yearly cap on what you pay out of pocket for covered drugs is $2,100 in 2026 and $2,400 in 2027, 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
Q: I only take one generic. Do I still need Part D?
Q: Does the $2,100 cap include my monthly premium?
Q: What if I can't afford my share, even with a plan?
- CMS — Medicare Part D program rules (medicare.gov)
For personalized answers, contact Medicare.gov, 1-800-MEDICARE, or your local SHIP.