A first look at the 2026 stand-alone Medicare Part D prescription drug plan (PDP) landscape.

An initial review of the stand-alone 2026 Medicare Part D prescription drug plan (PDP) landscape recently released by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), shows that, as in past years, Medicare beneficiaries will have fewer stand-alone 2026 Medicare Part D plan choices and many current PDP plan members will pay higher 2026 monthly premiums (unless they choose to enroll in a lower-premium 2026 Medicare Part D or Medicare Advantage plan).

Here are some of the highlights of the 2026 stand-alone Medicare Part D PDP landscape from our preliminary PDP-Facts.com analysis:

(1) Fewer 2026 PDP choices: There will be 31% fewer 2026 stand-alone Medicare Part D plan options (with the average number of Medicare Part D plans per CMS Region decreasing almost 38%).

(2) Many people will see 2026 increases in their current 2025 PDP premiums: Although the average 2026 Medicare Part D PDP premium will increase only 2%, when premiums are weighted by current enrollment, up to 47% of 2025 Medicare Part D plan members (not considering Low-Income Subsidy (LIS) eligibility) may see 2026 increases in their monthly premiums - with an average premium increase of $28.76.

(3) Fewer low-premium 2026 PDPs: Expect 15% fewer low-premium (under $25) stand-alone 2026 Medicare Part D plan options. The good news: $0 premium stand-alone 2026 Medicare drug plans will be available in many states.

(4) Fewer LIS $0 PDPs: Around 23% fewer 2026 Medicare Part D plans qualify for the LIS $0 premium.

Important: People qualifying for Medicare Part D Extra Help or the Low-Income Subsidy may notice that their current 2025 Medicare Part D plan will no longer qualify for the $0 LIS premium in 2026 – and will need to choose another 2026 Medicare Part D plan qualifying for the $0 LIS premium. Also, LIS beneficiaries should watch their mail for notices about their 2026 Extra Help/LIS status.

(5) Most 2026 stand-alone Medicare drug plans have a deductible: 89% of all stand-alone 2026 Medicare Part D PDPs will have a deductible.

(6) Reminder about changes in 2026 Medicare Part D drug plan designs:
-- The standard drug plan deductible will increase to $615.
-- The maximum out-of-pocket spending limit (RxMOOP) will increase to $2,100.

Learning more about changes to the 2026 Medicare Part D PDP landscape.
For an interactive overview of the 2026 Medicare Part D landscape on a national level, please visit PDP-Facts.com – and for a state-by-state analysis just choose your state from the list at the top of the PDP-Facts page (for example, PDP-Facts.com/FL for Florida PDPs).

Getting an overview of 2026 stand-alone Medicare Part D prescription drug plans (PDPs) in your area.
Our 2026 Medicare Part D prescription drug plan finder can be found directly at PDP-Finder.com. To begin, you can click on the state abbreviation (such as WI for Wisconsin) or just choose your state from the drop-down list, scroll down, and hit “Click to Find Plans”. You can then view all available stand-alone Medicare prescription drug plans in your area. You can also enter additional search criteria to shorten your results list. You can then “click” on the plan name for more information.

Reviewing 2026 Medicare Advantage plan options in your area.
Our 2026 Medicare Advantage plan finder can be found directly at: MA-Finder.com or include your ZIP code in the URL to see all plans available in your service area: MA-Finder.com/11206.

Similar to our PDP-Finder, the 2026 MA-Finder allows you to view all 2026 Medicare Advantage plans found in your area and includes monthly plan premiums, drug plan coverage (if available), the plan’s maximum out-of-pocket limit (or MOOP), Medicare Part B Giveback amount (once available), and prescription drug 30-day cost-sharing (once available). You can click on the “Details” button or click on the Medicare plan’s name to review a Medicare Advantage plan’s medical benefits and coverage details.

Note: 2026 Medicare plan data will be updated as new information becomes available.
The 2026 plan data released by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services was compiled in September and is subject to change as Medicare plan contracts are finalized or updated. We will also add drug plan cost-sharing (copays), formulary data, pricing, and quality star-ratings as this information becomes available.

Questions?
If you have any general questions about Medicare Part D plans or Medicare Advantage plans, please let us know. You can click here for our online Help Desk to submit a question or send us an email to Team@ on this site. For more detailed questions, we suggest that you speak with a Medicare representative at 1-800-Medicare (1-800-633-4227) (TTY 1-877-486-2048) or a local SHIP volunteer.