A single person on Medicare with less than $2,000 a month in income can qualify for Extra Help, a Medicare program that limits what they pay in 2027 to $5.80 for each generic drug and $14.40 for each brand-name drug, according to Medicare.gov. Social Security counts that income before the Medicare premium comes out of the check. The person's savings must also be $18,090 or less, not counting a home or one car.
Extra Help prices apply to drugs a person's plan covers, filled at a pharmacy that works with the plan. Extra Help's 2027 prices are up from $5.10 for generics and $12.65 for brand-name drugs in 2026, according to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Extra Help also sets the drug deductible at $0. Without Extra Help, Medicare's standard drug deductible rises from $615 to $700 in 2027, CMS says.
The income line, in dollars
The 2026 income limit for Extra Help is $23,940 a year for one person, which is $1,995 a month, according to Medicare.gov and Social Security's program manual. Social Security does not count the first $20 of income each month. So a single person whose only income is a Social Security check can qualify with a check under $2,015 a month. Social Security counts the full check, before the Medicare Part B premium is taken out.
For a married couple living together, Social Security adds both spouses' income. The couple limit is $32,460 a year, or $2,705 a month, and Social Security ignores $20 a month for the couple, not $40.
| 2026 Extra Help limits | One person | Married couple |
|---|
| Yearly income limit | $23,940 | $32,460 |
| Monthly income limit | $1,995 | $2,705 |
| Monthly Social Security that fits, after the $20 Social Security does not count | Under $2,015 | Under $2,725 combined |
| Savings limit | $18,090 | $36,100 |
Alaska and Hawaii have higher limits, $29,925 and $27,540 a year for one person. Extra Help is not available in Puerto Rico or the other U.S. territories, according to Medicare.gov. Medicare has not published the 2027 limits yet. Medicare.gov says Extra Help's limits "may go up each year."
Social Security, pensions, wages, veterans benefits and annuities count as income. SNAP, housing assistance and home energy assistance do not, according to Medicare.gov, and Social Security's manual says interest and dividends do not count either. Checking, savings and retirement accounts, stocks and bonds count as savings. A home, one car and furniture do not.
No $0 stand-alone drug plans in 2027 without Extra Help
No stand-alone Medicare drug plan has a $0 monthly premium in 2027 for people without Extra Help. AARP reported the change on September 29, 2026. Medicare's 2027 plan list, released in September, shows 0 of 323 stand-alone drug plans with a $0 premium, down from 70 of 367 in 2026.
People with Extra Help still have $0 choices. The same 2027 list shows 63 stand-alone drug plans that charge $0 a month to people with Extra Help, with at least one in every state and Washington, D.C. These are counts of plans, not people.
The $0 premium for people with Extra Help has a limit. Extra Help pays the whole premium only on plans priced at or under an amount Medicare sets for each region, according to Social Security's manual. A person with Extra Help who picks a pricier plan can still owe part of its premium.
The end of $0 premiums covers stand-alone drug plans only. In Medicare's 2027 list, 2,112 of 3,196 Medicare Advantage plans with drug coverage, not counting special needs plans, have a $0 monthly plan premium, with or without Extra Help.
Once a person with Extra Help reaches $2,400 in out-of-pocket drug costs for 2027, counting what Extra Help pays, covered drugs cost $0 for the rest of the year, according to Medicare.gov. The Medicare drug rules for 2027 explain the $2,400 cap for everyone else.
Who gets Extra Help without applying
People who get full Medicaid, SSI payments, or help from their state paying the Part B premium through a Medicare Savings Program get Extra Help automatically, according to Medicare.gov. They get a notice in the mail and do not need to apply. The state programs that pay the Part B premium are listed in our Medicare Savings Program limits by state.
What to do this fall
- Add up your monthly income before the Medicare premium comes out, and your savings. One person whose only income is Social Security needs a check under $2,015 a month and savings of $18,090 or less.
- Apply for Extra Help online at ssa.gov/medicare/part-d-extra-help. You can also call Social Security at 1-800-772-1213 (TTY 1-800-325-0778), Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m., and ask for an appointment to apply for Extra Help.
- The Extra Help application also starts an application for a Medicare Savings Program in your state, unless you say no on the form, according to Medicare.gov.
- Compare drug plans during Medicare Open Enrollment, October 15 to December 7, 2026. Changes take effect January 1, 2027. Medicare.gov says people who get Extra Help "may be able to change your drug coverage once per month."
- If you are approved and have no drug plan, Medicare enrolls you in one. You can pick a different plan.
Check if you qualify for Extra Help
Sources
- Medicare.gov, "Help with drug costs" (2026 limits and 2027 Extra Help costs): https://www.medicare.gov/basics/costs/help/drug-costs
- Social Security, "Apply for Medicare Part D Extra Help program": https://www.ssa.gov/medicare/part-d-extra-help
- Social Security POMS HI 03001.020, "Eligibility for Extra Help" (2026 poverty table, regional premium limit): https://secure.ssa.gov/poms.nsf/lnx/0603001020
- Social Security POMS HI 03020.050, "Unearned Income Exclusions" ($20 exclusion, interest and dividends): https://secure.ssa.gov/poms.nsf/lnx/0603020050
- Social Security POMS HI 03020.040, "How Unearned Income is Counted" (Medicare premiums withheld still count): https://secure.ssa.gov/poms.nsf/lnx/0603020040
- Social Security POMS SI 00810.420, "$20 Per Month General Income Exclusion" (one exclusion per couple): https://secure.ssa.gov/poms.nsf/lnx/0500810420
- CMS, "Announcement of Calendar Year (CY) 2027 Medicare Advantage Capitation Rates and Part C and Part D Payment Policies," April 6, 2026, Table V-2: https://www.cms.gov/files/document/2027-announcement.pdf
- CMS, 2026 and 2027 Medicare Advantage and Part D landscape files, September 2026: https://www.cms.gov/medicare/coverage/prescription-drug-coverage
- AARP, Tony Pugh, "Premiums for Medicare Part D Stand-Alone Drug Plans to Rise for Some, Fall for Others in 2027," September 29, 2026: https://www.aarp.org/medicare/medicare-part-d-premiums-2027/
