Medicare Plans
Part D Prescription Drug Plans in St. Louis, MO
Part D is the drug coverage part of Medicare. Private insurance companies sell it, and the plan with the lowest premium often turns out to be one of the most expensive once your own prescriptions are counted.
The way to shop Part D is to run each drug, with its dose and the pharmacy you use, through every plan's drug list. We do that every fall, whether you fill at a chain on Gravois or a corner pharmacy in Florissant.
- Priced on your real drug list, not the premium
- Your pharmacy, from Florissant to Oakville, changes the copay
- Every plan's drug list resets January 1
- Extra Help can cut costs if your income qualifies
We'll price your medications against real plans
Call with your drug list and your pharmacy. We'll total the premium, deductible and expected copays across the Part D plans we carry, then call you back during business hours with the numbers.
What to expect
Free review- A licensed agent calls you back during business hours, Mon-Fri, 8:30am-5:30pm CT
- Your doctors and prescriptions get checked before any plan is suggested
- No fee for our help, and your premium is the same either way
- No obligation to enroll, and no pressure if you'd rather stay put
Reviewed by the licensed insurance agents at St. Louis Senior Insurance. Last reviewed: October 2026. Office hours: Mon-Fri, 8:30am-5:30pm CT.
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A licensed agent will call you during business hours, Mon-Fri, 8:30am-5:30pm CT. If you'd rather not wait, call 314-463-5815 now.
How it's priced
Three things that set what you pay
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The drug list
Each plan covers its own list of drugs, called a formulary. If your drug isn't on it, you pay full price or ask for an exception. -
The tier
Covered drugs sit on tiers, from low-cost generics up to specialty drugs. One plan might put your drug on a low tier and another on a high one. -
The pharmacy
Preferred pharmacies usually cost less than standard ones. Filling the same drug at a different store in St. Louis County can move your copay.
Shopping
How we compare Part D plans
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1
List every prescription
Name, dose and how often you take it. Bring the bottles or a printout from your pharmacy so nothing is guessed.
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2
Tell us where you fill
Whether it's a store on South Lindbergh, a pharmacy in St. Charles or mail order, preferred status can matter as much as the plan.
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3
Add up the whole year
Premium, deductible and every expected copay together. The monthly premium alone tells you very little.
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4
Check again each fall
Drug lists and tiers reset every January 1. Last year's best plan may not be this year's.
Watch out
Penalties, gaps and help paying
If you go 63 days or more without creditable drug coverage after you're first eligible, Medicare adds a late enrollment penalty to your Part D premium, and it stays. The monthly amount is small, but it adds up over a retirement. It's one of the Medicare mistakes to avoid we see most around St. Louis.
If your income is limited, Extra Help can lower or wipe out your Part D premium and deductible. Missouri's Medicare Savings Programs, run through the Family Support Division, can also pay your Part B premium, and anyone who qualifies for one gets Extra Help too. Missouri SHIP, the state's free counseling program, can help with Extra Help, Medicare Savings Programs and MO HealthNet questions at 800-390-3330. Our St. Louis senior resources page has more.
Job, TRICARE or VA drug coverage may count
Creditable coverage from an employer, TRICARE or the VA usually keeps you clear of the penalty. Save the creditable coverage letter your plan mails each year.
Most Advantage plans already include Part D
If your Medicare Advantage plan covers drugs, don't add a separate Part D plan. Doing so can end your Advantage enrollment.
- Join when you first qualify to avoid a penalty that lasts
- A standalone Part D plan goes with Medigap, not with most Advantage plans
- Ask your doctor about a generic before paying a specialty-tier price
- Look at your coverage again each fall during Open Enrollment
Cost stages
Deductible, copays and the yearly cap
| Stage | What happens | What to watch |
|---|---|---|
| Deductible | Some plans have a deductible before coverage starts. Others waive it on lower tiers. | No deductible doesn't always mean a better deal. Look at the tier copays behind it. |
| Initial coverage | You pay a copay or coinsurance for each fill, and the plan pays the rest. | Tier placement sets this number. The same drug can be tier 2 in one plan and tier 4 in another. |
| Catastrophic / annual cap | When your out-of-pocket drug costs reach the yearly limit, covered drugs cost you nothing for the rest of the year. | This matters most if you take a specialty or brand-name drug. |
The Medicare Prescription Payment Plan
You can now spread your out-of-pocket drug costs over monthly payments instead of paying a big amount at the counter early in the year. Your total for the year stays the same. If a January refill has ever caught you off guard, ask about it. You sign up through your drug plan, and we can help.
Every fall
Your yearly drug plan checkup
Every year, Part D plans can change their premium, deductible, drug list, tiers and preferred pharmacies for the coming year. Your prescriptions may change too. Annual Open Enrollment, October 15 to December 7, is when you can act on it. The plan that was cheapest for you last January can end up costing more.
Each fall we run your current drug list through the plans we carry and tell you whether staying or switching saves more over the year. If staying is the better call, we'll say so. See Annual Open Enrollment for the dates, or switching your Medicare plan if you need a change at another time of year.
Close to home
Part D around St. Louis
We help people compare drug plans in St. Louis City, St. Louis County and St. Charles County, from Kirkwood and Webster Groves to Chesterfield and Florissant. Pharmacy networks and preferred stores can differ from one county to the next. If your prescriptions come from a specialist at Barnes-Jewish, Mercy, SSM Health Saint Louis University Hospital, St. Luke's or the VA, bring the exact drug names and doses so our numbers match what you fill. See every area we cover on our service areas page, or start with the Medicare plans overview.
Common questions
Part D questions we hear in St. Louis
Why isn't the cheapest premium the cheapest plan for me?
What if a drug I take isn't on the plan's list?
What does step therapy mean?
Is mail order always cheaper?
Can I pair Part D with a Medigap plan?
Can Missouri help pay my Medicare costs?
Next steps
Send us your prescription list
We'll price it across the Part D plans we carry in the St. Louis area and show you the lowest full-year cost we find.