Drug Price & Medicare Guides

The tables on this site show you the numbers. These guides explain what's behind them — the pricing mechanics, the federal programs, and the deadlines that keep you from overpaying or missing a window.

• Why Is My Generic Prescription $80 at the Pharmacy Counter?

  The pharmacy might pay a few dollars for that generic. Here's why your cash price can be many times that — and how NADAC helps you spot when you're overpaying.

• What Is NADAC? The Federal Benchmark Behind Our Drug Prices

  Every price on this site comes from NADAC, a weekly federal survey of what pharmacies actually pay. Here's what it measures, how it's collected, and why it's not the same as your cash price.

• What Is a Drug Formulary? How Medicare Plans Decide What They Cover

  Every Part D and Medicare Advantage plan has its own list of covered drugs, split into cost tiers, with rules like prior authorization attached. Here's how to actually read one.

• Part D vs. Medicare Advantage: What's the Difference?

  Standalone Part D, MA-PD, and MA-only — three very different ways drug coverage does or doesn't come bundled with Medicare. Here's how each one actually works.

• The Medicare Part D Out-of-Pocket Cap, Explained

  A 2025 federal reform put a hard annual ceiling on what you pay for covered Part D drugs, and eliminated the old "donut hole" entirely. Here's how the cap works and what it doesn't cover.

• Medicare Open Enrollment: Every Deadline You Need to Know

  Initial enrollment, the fall Annual Enrollment Period, the Medicare Advantage switch window, and the penalty for waiting too long — the enrollment calendar explained plainly.

• Extra Help: Medicare's Low-Income Prescription Drug Subsidy

  A federal program that can cut your Part D premium, deductible, and copays dramatically — and many people who qualify never apply because they assume they don't. Here's who qualifies and how to apply.