Do any Medigap policies include drug coverage, or must you also get a Part D supplement from another source?

A fellow caregiver asked...

Do any medigap policies include drug coverage, or must you also get a Part D supplement from another source?

Expert Answer

No Medigap policies sold to new enrollees today include any prescription drug coverage. That's because drug coverage through Medigap was replaced by the Medicare Part D prescription drug program, which went into effect January 1, 2006. [Before 2006, a few Medigap policies (in categories H, I and J) included some prescription drug coverage. If you had one of these policies, you are allowed to keep it with its drug coverage.]

You can get prescription drug coverage either from an independent Medicare Part D prescription drug plan, or through a Part C "Medicare Advantage" managed care plan (which also provides the rest of your Medicare coverage). Not all Part C managed care plans include drug coverage, however. If a Part C plan you choose has no drug coverage, then you can enroll in a Part D prescription drug plan, as well