Yes.  If you have Veterans Administration (VA) drug coverage, you can also join a Medicare Part D prescription drug plan (PDP) or Medicare Advantage plan that includes drug coverage (MAPD) - and together, these two types of coverage (VA and Part D) might provide you with the broadest and most economical prescription drug coverage.

Question:  Can I combine my Medicare Part D drug coverage with my VA drug coverage?

No.  Although you can have both VA and Part D drug coverage - and use either your VA drug benefit or your Medicare Part D plan (depending which coverage is most economical), you cannot use both your VA benefits together with your Medicare Part D benefits to pay for the same prescription.

Question:  Will my VA drug coverage count toward entering or exiting the Part D Donut Hole?

No.  Your VA drug benefits remain separate from your Medicare Part D benefits and coverage.  As noted by Medicare: "Since VA and Part D benefits are separate and distinct, a veteran’s payment of a VA medication copayment does not count toward his or her gross covered drug costs or TrOOP expenditures under his or her Part D benefit."

Important:  VA coverage is "creditable drug coverage" - which means - No Part D late-enrollment penalty.

Important:  You can add Medicare Part D drug coverage to your VA drug coverage during an enrollment period.

You can join a Medicare Part D plan or a Medicare Advantage plan during your Initial Enrollment Period (IEP) when you first become eligible for Medicare.  After the close of your Initial Enrollment Period - and you decide to join a Medicare drug plan - you must wait for a valid enrollment period (such as the annual Medicare Open Enrollment Period (AEP) that starts October 15 and continues through December 7) - or you may be able to join a Medicare Part D drug plan outside of the AEP if you use a Special Enrollment Period.

Again, if you have VA drug coverage and delay enrolling in a Medicare Part D plan, you will not pay a late enrollment penalty since VA drug coverage is considered creditable drug coverage.

Additional considerations:

If you are entitled to VA health benefits, your coverage will not change when you become eligible for Medicare, but
based on your prescription drug needs, you may choose to have both VA and Medicare drug coverage.

If you are thinking about joining a Medicare drug plan and you have VA benefits, you should consider:

• Where you live may affect your decision to add Medicare drug coverage to your benefits.
  You may benefit from Medicare drug coverage if you are in a nursing home that does not let you use your current VA drug benefits. You may also want to add Medicare drug coverage if you live far from a VA facility.

• Where you want to fill your prescriptions may affect your decision to add Medicare drug coverage to your benefits.
  As noted by Medicare, in most cases, "VA prescriptions generally must be written by a VA physician" and you must get your drugs from a VA pharmacy in person or through the VA’s "Consolidated Mail Outpatient Pharmacy (CMOP)" operations.  And since a VA pharmacy does not fill prescriptions for Part D plans, you will need to use local retail pharmacies or your plan's mail order pharmacy if you join a Medicare drug plan.

For additional information, please contact the VA Health Benefits Service Center at 1-877-222-8387.
TTY users should call 1-800-829-4833 or telephone a Medicare representative at 1-800-633-4227.

Sources include:
U.S. Department of Health & Human Services
Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit Manual, Chapter 14 - Coordination of Benefits