Maryland Medicare Part D Plans: Compare Drug Costs (2026–2027)

Bottom Line

Compare Maryland Part D plans by estimated annual premiums plus costs for your exact prescriptions, not premium alone. Confirm each pharmacy's preferred status and drug restrictions; repeat the comparison with 2027 benefits for a 2027 start.

Get help comparing prescription drug plans

Compare Maryland Medicare Part D plans using your complete prescription list and the pharmacies you can realistically use. Look at the estimated yearly premium plus drug costs, then check coverage restrictions and the monthly cost breakdown. Medicare’s comparison tool can estimate monthly and yearly costs from the drugs you enter.

If you also own a business and are considering an SBA loan, review life insurance for an SBA loan as a separate business-planning question. That discussion is separate from choosing Medicare prescription coverage.

Start with the right kind of drug coverage

As you explore Medicare coverage in your state, distinguish a standalone Part D plan from drug coverage included in Medicare Advantage.

Original Medicare consists of Part A hospital insurance and Part B medical insurance. You can add a standalone Part D plan; eligibility requires Part A or Part B and residence in the plan’s service area. Medicare Advantage requires both Part A and Part B, and most plans include Part D. Adding a separate drug plan to an Advantage HMO or PPO generally causes disenrollment from that Advantage plan and a return to Original Medicare.

Medicare Supplement insurance, also called Medigap, helps pay certain Original Medicare out-of-pocket costs. Policies sold after 2005 do not include prescription coverage, so compare the drug plan separately.

If your medical coverage is also changing, evaluate Maryland Medicare Advantage choices by county with your doctors, hospitals and prescriptions together. A favorable drug estimate does not establish that an Advantage plan’s medical network meets your needs.

Maryland Part D options: a 2026 comparison

CMS reports 10 standalone prescription drug plans available in Maryland for 2026. The statewide list includes options with a $0 monthly premium, but premium alone does not establish the lowest total cost for your prescriptions.

The following two Maryland plans illustrate differences in pharmacy cost sharing. They are selected examples, not a ranking of all available plans.

These are published plan benefits before Extra Help or other assistance; premiums can also be affected by income-related charges or penalties. A drug’s price may be below the stated copay. Compare each plan’s deductible and pharmacy terms: Humana Value Rx lists a $601 deductible and Wellcare Value Script lists a $615 deductible, with neither deductible applying to Tier 1 and Tier 2 drugs.

All figures here describe 2026 coverage. For coverage starting January 1, 2027, repeat the comparison using each plan’s 2027 premium, formulary, pharmacy network and benefits when available.

Test your prescriptions against current formularies

The following scenarios use actual drug entries and published 2026 benefits. The shoppers are hypothetical; these are not personalized pharmacy quotes. Both formularies reviewed were updated October 1, 2026.

Two generic prescriptions in Baltimore

Consider a shopping list containing metformin immediate-release 500 mg tablets, 60 tablets per 30 days, and atorvastatin 20 mg tablets, 30 tablets per 30 days.

Both plans list these formulations on Tier 1. Wellcare lists quantity limits of 150 tablets per 30 days for this metformin strength and 30 tablets per 30 days for atorvastatin, accommodating these example quantities.

For this list, both plans’ preferred retail Tier 1 copay is $0, while their standard retail copays differ, as shown above. A Baltimore shopper comparing a neighborhood pharmacy with Walmart should check each exact store’s status. Humana identifies Walmart among its preferred retail chains; confirm the branch in the current directory.

The decision is whether the lower estimated annual cost remains worthwhile after considering travel, opening hours and refill convenience. Do not assume that a pharmacy accepting your plan also has preferred pricing.

Eliquis and a retail-versus-mail comparison in Frederick

Consider Eliquis 5 mg tablets, 60 tablets per 30 days. Both reviewed formularies list this drug on Tier 3 with a quantity limit of 74 tablets per 30 days. The tablet formulation matters: other Eliquis formulations have different entries and restrictions.

For a Frederick shopper willing to use mail delivery, Humana’s published Tier 3 benefit is 20% coinsurance at retail versus 15% through preferred mail order with CenterWell Pharmacy, after the applicable deductible.

Compare the actual dollar estimates for your local pharmacy and mail delivery using matching quantities and supply lengths. A percentage alone cannot establish your bill. Include the deductible-period costs, delivery timing and every other medication before choosing.

Resolve restrictions before enrolling

For each prescription, record its exact name, strength, formulation, quantity, tier and any restrictions:

• Prior authorization requires plan approval before coverage.
• Step therapy can require trying another covered medication first.
• Quantity limits restrict how much the plan covers during a specified period.

If a necessary drug is missing or restricted, ask your prescriber about a medically appropriate covered alternative or a coverage exception. An exception requires supporting information and plan approval; do not budget as though it has already been granted.

Compare the full-year budget and payment timing

Build your budget from annual premiums plus estimated prescription payments, including any deductible spending. Add any income-related Part D charge, late enrollment penalty and costs for uncovered prescriptions. Avoid counting the deductible twice if it is already included in the estimate.

In 2026, the maximum Part D deductible is $615. Once qualifying out-of-pocket spending, including certain payments on your behalf, reaches $2,100, you pay $0 for covered Part D drugs for the rest of the calendar year. Premiums, uncovered drugs and Part B drugs are outside that Part D limit.

If early-year bills are difficult, the Medicare Prescription Payment Plan can spread covered out-of-pocket drug costs across the remaining months of the calendar year. It changes payment timing without reducing the total cost.

Also check assistance before comparing net costs. Extra Help assists people with limited income and resources with Part D expenses; people who do not qualify automatically can apply through Social Security.

Maryland’s Senior Prescription Drug Assistance Program, or SPDAP, pays up to $100 a month toward an approved plan premium for eligible members in 2026. Ask for eligibility screening and check the approved-plan requirements before subtracting a subsidy from your budget.

Confirm when you can switch

Annual Medicare Open Enrollment runs October 15–December 7. Changes requested during that period in 2026 generally take effect January 1, 2027. New Medicare eligibility and qualifying events, such as losing creditable coverage or moving outside your plan’s service area, can provide other enrollment opportunities.

Going 63 consecutive days without Part D or other creditable drug coverage after your initial enrollment period can trigger a continuing late enrollment penalty. Check existing employer or retiree coverage before replacing it.

If you are comparing Medicare Supplement plans in Maryland, remember that annual Medicare Open Enrollment does not generally guarantee Medigap acceptance without underwriting. Maryland’s separate birthday rule lets existing holders of policies issued in Maryland switch to equal or lesser benefits without underwriting during their birthday and the following 30 days.

Prepare a comparison you can act on

To compare prescription costs across Part D plans, gather your complete drug list, dosages, quantities, refill frequency, Maryland ZIP code, exact pharmacy addresses and current coverage information. Enter the same inputs for each plan, compare annual and monthly estimates, then verify the shortlist’s formularies and pharmacy status.

You can get local help comparing Medicare coverage in Maryland through the state’s SHIP program, which provides free, unbiased counseling, plan comparisons and assistance identifying cost-help programs. It does not sell insurance.

Finish with two or three plans that cover your prescriptions at usable pharmacies. Confirm unresolved restrictions, the effective date and the first refill arrangement before submitting an enrollment request.