How to Shop for a Medicare Drug Plan While Logged In to Medicare.gov

A sound way to shop for a Medicare drug plan is to compare plans using your actual prescriptions, at the pharmacy you actually use. Logging in to Medicare.gov lets the Plan Finder start from your saved drug and pharmacy lists instead of making you type them in again. This guide walks through the whole process, shows how to read the results, and covers what the estimates can’t tell you. To have 2027 coverage start January 1, the plan has to receive your request by December 7, 2026.

The official tool is free, it’s run by Medicare, and it shows plans in your area. It’s also easy to use badly: sorting by the lowest premium, leaving a drug off the list, or picking the wrong pharmacy can all make a plan look cheaper than it will be. The steps below are meant to prevent that.

One note on what we’re describing. The screens we walked through in detail are the ones Medicare.gov shows when you’re logged out, for 2027 plans. Logging in changes where your drug and pharmacy information comes from, and Medicare.gov describes what that adds, but we haven’t watched every logged-in screen ourselves, and Medicare updates the site often. Where the logged-in experience could differ, we say so. If a screen on your end looks different from what we describe, trust the screen and call 1-800-MEDICARE.

Why Log In at All?

You can use the Plan Finder without an account. You’ll answer a few questions, type in your drugs, pick pharmacies, and see plans. Medicare.gov doesn’t list an account as a requirement for joining a plan, and the Enroll button appears for logged-out shoppers too. What you can’t do logged out is save your drug list and pharmacies, so you start over every visit.

Medicare.gov’s own description of what logging in does is short: you get a summary of your current coverage, and the tool uses your saved drugs and pharmacies to compare plan costs. For anyone who takes several medications, that matters. An incomplete drug list is an easy way to end up with a misleading comparison, and a saved list you review carefully is easier to keep complete than one you retype every time you compare.

Medicare’s 2027 handbook also says your Medicare account lets you add your prescriptions and pharmacies so you can better compare plans in your area. Medicare.gov has been showing notices about 2027 changes to current plans, and starting October 1 you could begin comparing your current coverage with next year’s options.

Before You Start: Gather These

Set aside a block of uninterrupted time the first time and have these in front of you.

• Your Medicare Number. It’s on your red, white and blue Medicare card. You need it to create an account, and you’ll need it again if you enroll in a plan.
• Every prescription you take regularly. Include the exact drug name, the strength, how many you take, and how often you fill it. Pull the bottles out or look at your pharmacy’s list. Don’t work from memory.
• The pharmacy you use, plus any you’d be willing to switch to. Include a mail-order pharmacy if you’re open to one.
• Whether you get help with costs. The tool asks about Medicaid, Supplemental Security Income, a Medicare Savings Program, and Extra Help, because those change what you’d pay.
• Any other drug coverage you have. If you have employer, union or retiree coverage, read the warning later in this guide before you switch anything.

Step 1: Create Your Account or Log In

Medicare.gov uses three outside services to verify who you are: Login.gov, ID.me and CLEAR. All three are free. You pick one, verify your identity with it, and then connect it to your Medicare account using your Medicare Number.

Verifying can be done online, typically with a photo ID and a phone or computer camera, or in person at a participating location through ID.me or Login.gov. CMS says you don’t need a smartphone. Medicare’s handbook adds that if you connect an existing Medicare account to one of these services, your old Medicare username and password stop working. A March 2026 CMS fact sheet said existing logins still worked “at this time,” so if you already have an account, try it and see what Medicare.gov asks you to do. If you don’t have an account and open enrollment is close, do this first. Identity checks can hit snags, and you don’t want to find out on December 6.

If you get stuck, 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227, TTY 1-877-486-2048) is open 24 hours a day, every day. Each identity service also has its own help.

If you’re new to Medicare and don’t have a Medicare Number yet, that comes through Social Security. Once you’re enrolled, you can also find your number by logging in to your Medicare account.

Step 2: Start at Plan Finder and Pick 2027

Go to medicare.gov/plan-compare. During this enrollment period the tool opens with a headline about picking your 2027 plan from October 15 to December 7. Make sure the year is set to 2027, because you’re choosing coverage that starts January 1. The results page shows a banner telling you which year you’re viewing and lets you switch to 2026 plans if you want to see how your current plan looks.

Enter your ZIP code. The tool shows plans in your area, so if you moved or split time between two homes, use the address where you’ll live most of the year. We couldn’t confirm whether the logged-in version fills in your ZIP for you, so check it either way.

Step 3: Choose the Plan Type

The tool asks what kind of plan you’re looking for. The choices are a Medicare Advantage plan, a Medicare drug plan (Part D), or a Medigap policy. It shapes everything that follows, so slow down.

• A standalone drug plan (also called a PDP) adds drug coverage to Original Medicare, with or without a Medigap policy. Medigap policies are no longer sold with drug coverage.
• A Medicare Advantage plan is a private plan that bundles your Medicare coverage, and most include drug coverage. Some Medicare Advantage plans, such as HMOs and PPOs without drug coverage, don’t allow you to add a separate drug plan at all.
• If you’re already in a Medicare Advantage HMO or PPO that includes drug coverage, joining a separate drug plan can end the whole Medicare Advantage plan, not just the drug part. Medicare.gov says you’d be disenrolled from the Medicare Advantage plan and switched to Original Medicare. Don’t add a standalone drug plan without checking what happens to your current plan first.

If you aren’t sure which type fits, Medicare’s own page on choosing a plan can help, and so can we. Our guide to the Part D basics covers the standalone option.

Step 4: Tell Medicare About Any Help You Get

The next question asks whether you get help with Medicare costs, with options for Medicaid, Supplemental Security Income, a Medicare Savings Program, Extra Help, or none of these. Medicare says the answer is used to show you accurate costs. If you have Medicare and Medicaid, certain plans designed for people with both, called dual-eligible special needs plans, will be listed.

Answer this honestly and completely. If you aren’t sure whether you qualify for Extra Help, you can apply through Social Security at any time, and people in a Medicare Savings Program qualify automatically. Extra Help can change the costs you pay, so it’s worth settling before you compare.

Step 5: Build (or Check) Your Drug List

This step determines how useful the comparison will be. The tool asks whether you want to use drug costs to compare plans. Say yes. Then you add drugs.

If you’re logged in, start by looking at what’s already saved. A saved list is only useful if it’s right. Go through it drug by drug and ask three questions:

• Is every drug I take regularly on it? A missing drug means the estimate leaves out that cost.
• Is anything on it that I no longer take? Old or one-time prescriptions make a plan look more expensive than it is for you. Remove them.
• Do the strength, quantity and frequency match my prescription? For each drug, the tool asks for the dosage, the quantity, and how often you fill it (every month, every two months, every three, and so on). Enter these exactly as prescribed, since the cost estimate is built on them. A 90-day fill every three months is a different entry from a 30-day fill every month.

To add a drug, start typing its name and pick it from the list that appears, or browse the A-to-Z list. If a drug comes in both brand and generic versions, look carefully at which one you select. We didn’t test that screen ourselves. If you can’t find a drug, there’s a “Can’t find your drug?” link, and your pharmacist or 1-800-MEDICARE can help.

Add every drug you take regularly, even cheap ones. The tool can only be as accurate as the list you give it.

Step 6: Choose Your Pharmacies

Plans negotiate prices with specific pharmacies, and the same drug can cost different amounts at different ones. Medicare’s handbook says your costs depend on whether a pharmacy offers preferred or standard cost sharing, is out of network, or is mail order, and that costs may be less at a preferred pharmacy.

The tool asks you to add the pharmacy you use, and others you’d be willing to use. In the version we walked through, it allows up to five, and mail order is one of the options. Medicare’s guidance is to add both mail-order and retail pharmacies to find the lowest cost, and Medicare notes that plans can’t make you use mail order. Medicare’s guide says mail order is sometimes cheaper, so it’s worth seeing the numbers.

Don’t skip this step if you’re loyal to a pharmacy. A plan can look excellent for your drugs and still cost more at your pharmacy than at one across town. Decide in advance whether you’d switch pharmacies for a lower total cost.

Step 7: Read the Results

Now you’ll see a list of plans. Each plan card shows the plan name and carrier, a star rating, the drug deductible, the estimated total drug and premium cost for 2027, and the monthly premium. You can sort by lowest total cost, lowest monthly premium, or lowest drug deductible, and filter by carrier or star rating.

Sort by total cost, not premium. The default sort is lowest drug plus premium cost, which is the one that reflects your medications. A plan with a $0 premium can cost far more over a year than a plan with a $35 premium if your drugs sit on high tiers or you’d meet a high deductible. In one sample ZIP code we tried while logged out, 2027 standalone plan premiums ranged from about $37 to more than $200 a month. Your area will look different, but it shows how much plans can vary.

Check the deductible. For 2027 the maximum Part D deductible is $700. Some plans charge less, and some charge none. A lower deductible isn’t automatically better, since you also need to look at the premium and what you pay after the deductible.

Open the plan details. Click through on any plan you’re seriously considering. The details page shows your drug list with each drug’s cost, each pharmacy and whether it’s preferred or in network, your estimated costs by month, when you’d meet your deductible, and the plan’s documents. It also shows the 2027 out-of-pocket cap of $2,400.

Look at the plan’s formulary. The plan details link to the plan’s drug list (its formulary). Check whether any of your drugs have restrictions, such as prior authorization, step therapy or quantity limits. A drug can be on a plan’s list and still require approval before the plan pays. Medicare’s handbook confirms plans use these rules. If a document you want is missing from the plan’s page, contact the plan.

Compare up to three plans side by side. Medicare.gov advertises this on the results page, and plan cards have an “Add to compare” option. We didn’t open the side-by-side screen ourselves. Two or three finalists are easier to judge than a long list.

What the Estimate Can’t Tell You

The Plan Finder estimate is a useful tool and not a guarantee. A few things it can’t know.

• Plans can change drug lists. Medicare says plans can change their formularies during the year, and for most changes that affect a drug you take, the plan has to give notice. A plan that covers your drug in January isn’t promising it at the same price in July.
• New prescriptions. If your doctor adds or changes a medication next year, your cost will differ from the estimate.
• Drug prices move. Your coinsurance can change when a manufacturer changes a price.
• Your pharmacy matters. The estimate is for the pharmacies you selected. Fill at a different one and you may pay more, or the drug may not be covered at all at an out-of-network pharmacy.
• Higher-income surcharges. If your income is high enough, you may pay an extra income-related amount for Part D in addition to your plan’s premium. Medicare says it’s paid in addition to the premium, and we couldn’t confirm whether the Plan Finder includes it in the cost it shows you.
• The Medicare Prescription Payment Plan. This program spreads your out-of-pocket drug costs across the year instead of at the pharmacy counter. We couldn’t confirm that Plan Finder estimates reflect it, so don’t count on it showing up in the numbers. More on that below.

For a deeper look at the cap itself, see our explainer on the 2027 Part D out-of-pocket cap and what counts toward it.

Common Mistakes

1. Shopping by premium alone. We’ve written about this before in how to find a drug plan that fits your prescriptions. The lowest premium is only the lowest premium. 2. Leaving drugs off the list. An incomplete list makes plans look cheaper than they are. 3. Ignoring the pharmacy. The plan that wins at one pharmacy may lose at another. 4. Dropping employer or retiree coverage by accident. If you have coverage through a current or former employer or a union, check with the benefits administrator before you join a Medicare drug plan. Medicare’s drug coverage guide warns that joining one may mean losing that coverage, including coverage for your spouse and dependents, and that you may not be able to get it back. 5. Assuming last year’s plan still fits. Formularies, networks and premiums change every year, even if you didn’t change plans. Medicare recommends reviewing your coverage each fall, and if you’re happy with your plan and it’s still offered, you don’t have to do anything. 6. Waiting until the last day. A plan has to receive your request by December 7 for coverage to start January 1.

Step 8: Enroll

When you’ve picked a plan, click “Enroll” on the plan card or on its details page. You’ll need your Medicare Number and the start dates for your Part A and/or Part B coverage, which are on your Medicare card, along with your name, birth date, permanent address and how you’ll pay your premium. If you have other coverage, such as creditable-coverage notices, you may be asked about that too. You can also enroll through the plan itself or by calling 1-800-MEDICARE. We didn’t test the online enrollment screens, so read each one carefully before you submit.

Medicare says that when your new drug coverage begins, your old drug coverage ends, and you shouldn’t need to cancel the old plan yourself. That rule has exceptions, covered above: employer, union or retiree coverage, and Medicare Advantage plans. Medicare’s drug coverage guide says that within 2 weeks after your new plan gets your completed application you should get a letter confirming it, and within 5 weeks a welcome package with your plan ID card. If you enroll near the deadline, you may not have the card before January 1, so ask the plan or call 1-800-MEDICARE if yours hasn’t arrived. Keep using your current card until the new coverage starts.

If you’re already in a Medicare Advantage plan, you also have a Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period from January 1 to March 31. During that period you can make one change: switch to another Medicare Advantage plan, or drop your plan and return to Original Medicare, in which case you can also join a separate drug plan. Any change takes effect the first of the month after the plan gets your request. It doesn’t let you move from Original Medicare to Medicare Advantage, join a standalone drug plan if you have Original Medicare, or switch standalone drug plans if you have Original Medicare.

A Few 2027 Part D Numbers to Know

• Out-of-pocket cap: $2,400 in 2027, up from $2,100 in 2026. Once you, or other people or programs on your behalf such as Extra Help, reach that amount on covered drugs, you pay $0 for covered Part D drugs for the rest of the year. Spending on drugs your plan doesn’t cover doesn’t count.
• Maximum deductible: $700 for 2027, up from $615 in 2026.
• Base beneficiary premium: CMS set the 2027 national base beneficiary premium at $41.33, up from $38.99. It isn’t what you pay for a plan. It’s the reference number used to calculate the late enrollment penalty, and Medicare.gov’s cost page still showed the 2026 figure when we checked.
• Late enrollment penalty: if you go 63 days or more in a row without Part D or other creditable drug coverage after your Initial Enrollment Period ends, you may owe a penalty. It’s 1% of the base beneficiary premium for each full uncovered month, rounded to the nearest $0.10 and added to your monthly premium for as long as you have Part D. People who get Extra Help don’t pay it.
• Extra Help copays: Medicare & You 2027 says people who qualify will generally pay no more than $5.80 for each generic drug and $14.40 for each brand-name drug filled at their plan’s participating pharmacies. Some people with Medicaid pay nothing.

The Medicare Prescription Payment Plan is available through every drug plan and you opt in by contacting your plan. It doesn’t lower what you owe, it spreads it into monthly bills, and Medicare says it may be most useful for people with high drug costs early in the year. It isn’t right for everyone, so use Medicare’s own quiz or ask your plan before opting in.

When It Helps to Have a Person Look at It

The Plan Finder is the official place to see every plan available in your area, and we’d never suggest skipping it. What it can’t do is tell you what to weigh. If you take several brand-name drugs, you’re comparing a standalone drug plan against a Medicare Advantage plan, or you have retiree coverage you’re afraid to lose, a second set of eyes is worth it.

We can run your list with you. Bring your medications, doses and pharmacy, and we’ll go through the plans for Bethel, Cincinnati and the rest of Hamilton, Clermont, Butler and Warren counties and explain the tradeoffs. You can also get free counseling from Ohio’s state health insurance counselors through OSHIIP at 1-800-686-1578, or by calling 1-800-MEDICARE. If you’d like a refresher on the whole season first, see our ten-minute open enrollment checklist.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I have to log in to use Medicare’s Plan Finder?

No. You can answer the questions, add your drugs and pharmacies and compare plans without logging in, and Medicare doesn’t list an account as a requirement for enrolling. The difference is that Medicare can’t save your drug list and pharmacies for next time, so you retype them. If you take more than a couple of medications, logging in saves effort and helps keep your list accurate.

Which identity service should I use to log in?

Medicare.gov accepts Login.gov, ID.me and CLEAR, and all are free. Any of the three works. If you already have an account with one of them, start there. If you’d rather verify in person than with a phone or computer camera, Medicare.gov’s login help lists ID.me and Login.gov as the in-person options, at places like UPS stores and U.S. Post Offices, so check which one has a location near you.

Can I enroll in a drug plan on Medicare.gov?

Yes. Each plan in the Plan Finder has an “Enroll” button. You can also enroll through the plan itself or by calling 1-800-MEDICARE. Whichever way you do it, the plan must get your request by December 7 for coverage to start January 1.

Will enrolling in a new plan cancel my old one?

Medicare says your old drug coverage ends when your new coverage begins, and you shouldn’t need to cancel the old plan yourself. The exceptions are the ones that matter: employer, union or retiree coverage may end when you join a Medicare drug plan, and joining a standalone drug plan can disenroll you from a Medicare Advantage HMO or PPO that includes drugs. Check before you join a separate drug plan.

Is the cost shown in the Plan Finder what I’ll actually pay?

It’s an estimate based on the drugs, doses and pharmacies you entered. It can differ if your prescriptions change, if prices or a plan’s drug list change, or if you fill at a pharmacy you didn’t select. Treat it as a starting comparison, not a quote.

What if my drug isn’t covered by the plan I want?

Check the plan’s drug list before you enroll. If you’re already in a plan and a drug isn’t covered or sits on a high tier, you or your prescriber can ask the plan for an exception, and your prescriber generally has to give a statement supporting the request. Ask before you pay for months of a drug you may not be able to get covered.

Does Plan Finder show Medigap policies too?

The plan-type question lets you choose Medigap, so you can start a search for supplement policies there. We didn’t test what details it shows. Medigap policies can no longer be sold with drug coverage, though an older policy sold with it can be kept, and you can’t have drug coverage in both a Medigap policy and a Part D plan. If you have a newer Medigap policy and want drug coverage, you’d need a separate Part D plan.

What if I get Extra Help?

Tell the tool when it asks about help with costs so it can show you accurate costs. Medicare says that people who get Extra Help pay lower drug costs and don’t pay a late enrollment penalty. If you think you might qualify and haven’t applied, you can do so through Social Security at any time.