Neither Medicare Part A nor Medicare Part B covers your outpatient prescription drugs, so if you don't have drug coverage through some other insurance, you may want to enroll in a Medicare Part D prescription drug plan to help pay for them. Or you might already be enrolled in a plan but think you could do better by switching to another plan.

Medicare Part D prescription drug plans vary from one geographic location to another. Depending on where you live, anywhere from a handful to several dozen Medicare Part D prescription drug plans might be available to you. How do you figure out what plans are sold where you live, and which one would best fit your needs? Here are the key things to consider when choosing a Medicare Part D prescription drug plan.

Learn what Medicare Part D prescription drug plans are available to you.

Medicare's official website has an online service called the Prescription Drug Plan Finder. If you enter some personal information, it can provide you with a list and contact information for all Part D drug plans sold where you live. It can also help you sort through them by matching the drugs you take regularly and the plans' lists of covered drugs.

Get extra help sorting through available Part D plans and options.

Sorting through different Medicare Part D prescription drug plans and choosing the best one for yourself or for someone you're caring for can be confusing, even with the information presented below. If you don't feel comfortable making a good decision on your own, you can get free, expert personalized help from the nonprofit State Health Insurance Assistance program (SHIP), in some states called the Health Insurance Counseling and Advocacy Program (HICAP). The counselors at a local SHIP or HICAP office have experience with the plans offered in that geographic area. Go to Medicare's list of contacts for each state's SHIP or HICAP central office, which can then direct you to the local office nearest you.