Medicare Part D

Extra Help Can Cut Rhode Island Seniors' Drug Costs in 2026

CUMBERLAND, R.I. — For many people on Medicare, the hardest part of getting older isn't the doctor visits. It's the pharmacy counter. If prescription costs are stretching your budget thin, there's a federal program you should know about — and it just got easier to qualify for.

It's called Extra Help, also known as the Low-Income Subsidy (LIS). It helps pay for Medicare Part D drug coverage, and it can make a real difference in what you pay each month.

What Extra Help actually does

Extra Help is a federal program run through Social Security and Medicare. If you qualify, it lowers or eliminates your Part D premium and deductible, and it caps what you pay for covered prescriptions at the pharmacy.

Under Medicare Part D rules, everyone with a Part D plan already benefits from an annual out-of-pocket cap on covered drugs — $2,100 in 2026 and $2,400 in 2027 — and the Part D deductible is capped at $615 in 2026 and $700 in 2027. Extra Help sits on top of those protections, bringing costs down even further for people with limited income and savings.

Who qualifies in 2027

To get full Extra Help, your income and resources must fall under federal limits set each year by the Social Security Administration. As a general guide:

• Income: Roughly up to 150% of the federal poverty level. For a single person, that's around $23,000 a year; for a married couple living together, it's around $31,000. Some income doesn't count, so don't rule yourself out based on your paycheck alone.
• Resources: Things like money in checking, savings, stocks, and bonds. Your home, one car, burial plots, and personal belongings do not count.

Starting in 2024, Congress expanded Extra Help so that everyone who qualifies now gets the full benefit — the old "partial" tier is gone. That change carries into 2027 and means more people are eligible than in years past.

You're automatically enrolled in Extra Help if you have Medicaid, get help from a Medicare Savings Program, or receive Supplemental Security Income (SSI). If not, you have to apply.

Why Cumberland residents should take another look

Cumberland is in Providence County, where Medicare beneficiaries have a wide range of stand-alone Part D drug plans and Medicare Advantage plans with drug coverage to choose from. Extra Help works with most of them — meaning if you qualify, the subsidy follows you into the plan you pick during open enrollment.

Rhode Island also runs a strong State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP), called The Point / RI SHIP, where trained counselors can walk you through eligibility for free. This is not a sales call — it's an unbiased resource.

Important dates to keep on the fridge

• Extra Help applications: You can apply anytime through the Social Security Administration.
• Medicare Annual Enrollment Period: October 15 – December 7. This is when you can join, switch, or drop a Part D or Medicare Advantage plan for the following year.
• Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment: January 1 – March 31, if you're already on a Medicare Advantage plan and want to change.
• Special Enrollment Period: If you gain or lose Extra Help or Medicaid during the year, you get extra chances to change your drug plan outside the normal windows.

The Medicare Prescription Payment Plan — another tool

Even if you don't qualify for Extra Help, there's a newer option called the Medicare Prescription Payment Plan. It lets you spread your out-of-pocket drug costs across the calendar year in monthly installments instead of paying a large amount at the pharmacy all at once. It doesn't lower your total cost, but it can smooth out the timing. You have to opt in through your Part D plan.

How to apply for Extra Help

You can apply in any of these ways:

1. Online at ssa.gov/extrahelp 2. By calling Social Security at 1-800-772-1213 (TTY 1-800-325-0778) 3. At your local Social Security office 4. With free help from RI SHIP / The Point at 401-462-4444

There's no fee to apply, and applying does not affect your other Social Security benefits.