Plans · Part D
Medicare Part D drug plans in Hawaii
Standalone prescription coverage chosen around your medications and your pharmacy — whether you pair it with Original Medicare, a Medigap policy, or nothing else.
No cost, no obligation, no pressure.
Talk it through with Darin
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Medicare Part D covers prescription drugs through private plans approved by Medicare. You can get it as a standalone plan alongside Original Medicare (and usually a Medigap policy), or built into most Medicare Advantage plans, including Kaiser Senior Advantage and HMSA Akamai Advantage.
What changed for 2026
- $2,100 out-of-pocket cap. Once your spending on covered drugs reaches $2,100 in 2026, you pay $0 for covered medications the rest of the year.
- Deductible up to $615. That is the most a plan can charge as its 2026 deductible; many plans set a lower one or none at all.
- Premiums vary by plan. The 2026 national base beneficiary premium — the figure used to calculate penalties — is $38.99, but what you actually pay depends on the plan you choose.
- The Medicare Prescription Payment Plan lets you spread out-of-pocket drug costs across the year in monthly instalments instead of paying at the counter. It changes when you pay, not how much.
Choosing a plan is about your drug list and your pharmacy
Every Part D plan has a formulary — its list of covered drugs and the tier (and cost) for each — and a pharmacy network with preferred pharmacies that cost less. Two plans with similar premiums can cost very different amounts once your specific prescriptions are run through them, and a plan that is cheap at a Longs in Honolulu may be expensive at the one pharmacy in Kaunakakai or Hanalei. On the neighbor islands the practical question is often whether your plan’s preferred pharmacy exists on your island at all, and whether 90-day mail order solves it. We compare plans using your actual medication list and your pharmacy, so the lowest total cost wins, not just the lowest premium.
Watch the late-enrollment penalty. If you go 63 or more days without Part D or other creditable drug coverage after you are first eligible, a permanent penalty can be added to your premium for as long as you have Part D. Employer coverage under the Prepaid Health Care Act, EUTF retiree drug plans, the VA pharmacy and TRICARE For Life are all creditable; keep proof. See our 2026 costs page to estimate a penalty.
Higher earners and lower incomes
If your income is above the 2026 thresholds ($109,000 single / $218,000 joint, based on your 2024 tax return), you pay a Part D income-related surcharge (IRMAA) on top of your plan premium; our costs & IRMAA page lays out the brackets. At the other end, Extra Help (the Low-Income Subsidy) cuts Part D premiums and copays substantially for people with limited income and resources. In Hawaii, qualifying for a Medicare Savings Program (QMB, SLMB or QI) through Med-QUEST qualifies you for Extra Help automatically. See Med-QUEST and the Medicare Savings Programs.
Good to know
Frequently asked questions
When should I enroll in Part D?
Usually when you first become eligible for Medicare, even if you take few or no medications — that avoids the late-enrollment penalty. Exceptions apply if you have other creditable drug coverage such as an employer plan, an EUTF retiree plan, TRICARE For Life or VA pharmacy benefits.
What is the 2026 Part D out-of-pocket cap?
$2,100. After your covered-drug spending reaches that amount in 2026, you pay nothing more for covered medications for the rest of the year.
Does my pharmacy matter?
Yes. Each plan has preferred pharmacies where copays are lowest, and on a neighbor island the preferred chain may not have a store. We check your pharmacy and whether 90-day mail order is the better answer when we compare.
Can you help me pick a plan around my medications?
Yes — that is the most useful thing we do here. Bring your medication list and pharmacy, and we compare plans on your total expected yearly cost.
Ready when you are
Let’s match a drug plan to your prescriptions.
A short, friendly conversation — no pressure, no cost.
Sources we used on this page
- Medicare.gov: Drug coverage (Part D)
- CMS: 2026 Medicare Parts A & B Premiums and Deductibles (Nov 14, 2025)
- Medicare.gov: Medicare costs
- Med-QUEST: Medicaid programs, including the Medicare Savings Programs
- Hawaii Department of Labor: About the Prepaid Health Care Act
Figures are checked against the source at the review date in the byline below. If a source has changed since, the source wins.
Written and reviewed by Darin Weidauer — licensed insurance agent (NPN 18580338, HI License #18580338), Gerontologist (USC Leonard Davis School of Gerontology), MBA, Registered Social Security Analyst, and 22-year U.S. Air Force veteran.Last reviewed September 13, 2026. Plan availability, benefits and costs change every plan year — verify current details at Medicare.gov, 1-800-MEDICARE, or Hawaii SHIP at 1-888-875-9229.