Medicare Part D

Struggling with drug costs in Summerville? How Extra Help works and who qualifies in 2027

If prescription costs are stretching your budget in Summerville, there is a federal program that may make a real difference — and many people who qualify never apply. It is called the Low-Income Subsidy, better known as Extra Help. It is run by Social Security and Medicare, and it helps eligible people with Medicare pay for their Part D prescription drug coverage.

Medicare Part DSummerville, SC

For 2027, Extra Help matters even more. The Part D out-of-pocket cap is $2,100 in 2026 and $2,400 in 2027, the maximum deductible is $615 in 2026 and $700 in 2027, and the old coverage gap (the “donut hole”) is gone. Extra Help sits on top of those changes and can lower what you pay for the drug plan itself and for the medicines you pick up at the pharmacy.

What Extra Help actually pays for

Extra Help is tied to Medicare Part D, the part of Medicare that covers prescription drugs. If you qualify, the program can reduce or eliminate your Part D plan premium, lower or wipe out the deductible, and cap what you pay at the pharmacy counter for covered drugs. The exact amounts depend on the level of Extra Help you qualify for and the plan you are enrolled in.

Congress expanded Extra Help starting in 2024, so the “partial” subsidy that used to exist is gone. Today, if you qualify, you get the full subsidy. That is a meaningful change for people who used to fall just above the old cutoff.

Who qualifies in 2027

Two things decide eligibility: your income and your resources (savings and certain assets).

• Income: Generally, your yearly income must be at or below 150% of the federal poverty level. For a single person, that works out to roughly the low-$20,000s per year, and higher for couples. Social Security updates the exact figures each year.
• Resources: Things like money in checking, savings, stocks, and bonds are counted. Your home, one car, burial plots, and household items are not counted.
• Medicare: You must have Medicare Part A and/or Part B and live in the U.S.

Some people qualify automatically. If you have Medicare and full Medicaid, get help from your state paying Medicare premiums (a Medicare Savings Program), or receive Supplemental Security Income (SSI), you are enrolled in Extra Help without applying.

How Extra Help fits with 2027 Part D changes

The 2027 Part D year has three phases: the deductible (up to $700 in 2027, compared with $615 in 2026), the initial coverage phase, and a catastrophic phase that begins once you hit the out-of-pocket cap ($2,400 in 2027, up from $2,100 in 2026). After that cap, you pay nothing for covered Part D drugs for the rest of the year.

If you have Extra Help, your costs are already lower inside those phases. You may pay only a small fixed copay for generics and brand-name drugs, and the deductible may not apply at all.

There is also a separate tool called the Medicare Prescription Payment Plan. It lets any Part D enrollee spread yearly drug costs across monthly payments. It does not lower your total cost, but it can smooth out big pharmacy bills. You can use it whether or not you have Extra Help.

How to apply from Summerville

Summerville is in Dorchester County, and South Carolina residents have several free ways to apply:

• Social Security: Apply online at ssa.gov/extrahelp, call 1-800-772-1213, or visit a local Social Security office.
• South Carolina SHIP (called SC Thrive / GetCoveredSC counselors and the state’s Insurance Counseling Assistance and Referrals for Elders — I-CARE): Free, one-on-one help. Counselors can walk you through the paperwork.
• South Carolina Medicaid (Healthy Connections): If you may qualify for Medicaid, applying there can open the door to automatic Extra Help.

There is no deadline to apply. You do not have to wait for the Annual Enrollment Period (Oct. 15 – Dec. 7) or the Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period (Jan. 1 – March 31). If you qualify midyear, your Extra Help can begin the next month.

What changes once you have it

People who get Extra Help also get a Special Enrollment Period. That means you can switch Part D or Medicare Advantage drug plans once per quarter during the first three quarters of the year, outside the normal enrollment windows. That flexibility matters if your medications change or if a plan stops covering a drug you need.

Extra Help does not affect the IRMAA rules, which are income-based surcharges that start above $109,000 in income for a single filer in 2026. Those apply only to higher earners, not to people in the Extra Help income range.