Medicare Supplement

Extra Help in 2026: Southaven Guide to Part D Costs

SOUTHAVEN, Miss. — If prescription costs have been keeping you up at night, there's a federal program you should know about. It's called the Low-Income Subsidy, or "Extra Help," and it's designed to lower what people with limited income and resources pay for Medicare Part D drug coverage.

Southaven Seniors: What Extra Help Could Mean for Your 2026 Drug Costs

Extra Help isn't new, but recent changes have expanded who qualifies and how much it can do. With Part D rules shifting again in 2026, this is a good time for Southaven residents to check whether they — or a parent, neighbor, or friend — might be eligible.

What Extra Help Actually Does

Extra Help is a federal benefit run through the Social Security Administration and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). If you qualify, it can reduce or eliminate your Part D monthly premium and deductible, and it caps what you pay for covered generic and brand-name drugs at the pharmacy counter.

As of 2024, the program was expanded so that everyone who qualifies now gets the full subsidy. There is no longer a "partial" Extra Help tier — you're either in or you're not.

Who Qualifies in 2026

To qualify for Extra Help, you generally must:

• Be enrolled in Medicare Part A and/or Part B,
• Live in one of the 50 states or D.C., and
• Have income and resources below the federal limits set each year.

Income limits are tied to the Federal Poverty Level and updated annually, so the exact numbers for 2026 will be posted on medicare.gov and ssa.gov. "Resources" means things like money in checking and savings accounts and stocks — but not your home, one car, or personal belongings.

Some people qualify automatically. If you have both Medicare and full Medicaid, get Supplemental Security Income (SSI), or are enrolled in a Medicare Savings Program, you're enrolled in Extra Help without applying.

Why 2026 Matters for Part D

Even if you don't qualify for Extra Help, Part D itself is changing in ways that affect every Southaven Medicare beneficiary:

• A hard $2,100 out-of-pocket cap. In 2026, once your out-of-pocket spending on covered Part D drugs hits $2,100, you pay $0 for the rest of the year.
• A maximum Part D deductible of $615. Plans can charge less, but not more.
• No more "donut hole." As of 2025, the coverage gap is gone. Part D now has three phases: deductible, initial coverage, and catastrophic.
• The Medicare Prescription Payment Plan. This optional program lets you spread your drug costs across the calendar year in monthly payments instead of paying big bills at the pharmacy.
• IRMAA surcharges for higher-income beneficiaries begin above $109,000 in income for a single filer in 2026.

Extra Help sits on top of these rules — so people who qualify pay even less than the standard caps.

Local Context: How to Look at Options in Southaven

Southaven is in DeSoto County, where Part D and Medicare Advantage plan availability is set at the county level. That means when you shop, you'll see the plans that serve DeSoto County — not a list built just for Southaven's ZIP codes.

We don't rank plans or point readers to any specific one. Instead, the Medicare Plan Finder at medicare.gov/plan-compare lets you enter your ZIP code and your prescriptions and see, side by side, what each plan in your area would cost you.

How to Apply for Extra Help

There are three simple ways:

1. Online at ssa.gov/medicare/part-d-extra-help. 2. By phone at 1-800-772-1213 (Social Security). 3. In person at your local Social Security office.

You can apply any time of year — Extra Help isn't tied to the Annual Enrollment Period. That said, mark your calendar: Medicare Open Enrollment runs Oct. 15 – Dec. 7, and the Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period runs Jan. 1 – March 31.