How do I compare Part D plans in Texas?

Use Medicare Plan Finder on Medicare.gov, enter every prescription you take and your preferred Texas pharmacy, then sort the results by estimated total yearly cost rather than premium alone. A low-premium plan can cost more overall if your drugs sit on a higher tier or your pharmacy is out of network, so check each plan's formulary and pharmacy list before you choose.

What is the 2027 Part D deductible?

For 2027, the standard Part D deductible can be as high as $700, up from $615 in 2026. Some Texas plans set a lower deductible or skip it for certain drug tiers, so compare how each plan applies its deductible to the specific medications you take before you enroll.

What is the 2027 Part D out-of-pocket cap?

In 2027, the Part D out-of-pocket cap rises to $2,400, up from $2,100 in 2026. Once your own spending on covered drugs reaches that amount, you pay nothing more for covered prescriptions for the rest of the calendar year, which gives Texans on expensive medications a firm ceiling on drug costs.

Where can I get free Part D help in Texas?

Texas offers free, unbiased Medicare counseling through HICAP, the Health Information, Counseling and Advocacy Program of Texas. A trained HICAP counselor can walk you through comparing Part D plans for 2027, review your drug list and explain your options without selling you anything, so it is a good next step if you want a second opinion.

Is Blue Cross leaving Texas Medicare Advantage?

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas, part of HCSC, is shrinking its Medicare Advantage footprint in Texas from 229 counties to 47 for 2027. If you are in a Blue Cross Advantage plan with drug coverage in an affected county, read your notice carefully and compare replacement coverage, including Part D options, during Annual Enrollment.

When can I change Part D plans for 2027?

You can change Part D plans for 2027 during Annual Enrollment, which runs from October 15 to December 7, 2026, with your new plan starting January 1, 2027. Outside that window you generally need a Special Enrollment Period, such as a move or losing other drug coverage, so it pays to compare plans before December 7.

Can I keep my Texas Part D plan if my Medicare Advantage plan is ending?

If your Medicare Advantage plan with drug coverage is ending, you will need new drug coverage for 2027, either another Advantage plan with Part D or a standalone Part D plan paired with Original Medicare. Your coverage continues through December 31, 2026, so compare options during Annual Enrollment, or use your Special Enrollment Period if you need more time.

Compare Medicare Part D Plans Texas 2027

Reviewed by Russell Noga, a Licensed Medicare Insurance Broker in all 50 states — Updated October 8, 2026

To compare Medicare Part D plans in Texas for 2027, enter your exact prescriptions and pharmacy into Medicare Plan Finder and rank plans by total yearly cost, not premium. Every Texas plan works under the same 2027 rules: a deductible of up to $700 and a $2,400 cap on what you pay out of pocket for covered drugs.

Texas is one of the states hit hardest by 2027 Medicare Advantage changes: HCSC (Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas) shrinks its Texas Medicare Advantage area from 229 counties to 47, and Christus Health Plan and Memorial Hermann Health Plan are leaving Medicare Advantage. Many Texans moving to Original Medicare will need a standalone Part D plan.

2027 is a year to compare carefully. CMS ended the Part D Premium Stabilization Demonstration, so standalone drug plans in Texas return to normal market pricing: some premiums rise, some fall, and some plans leave.

✔ Licensed agents in all 50 states
✔ Built on CMS 2027 data
✔ Compare plans for free

Key Highlights

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Texas Part D plans for 2027 have a maximum deductible of $700.

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Out-of-pocket drug costs are capped at $2,400 for 2027.

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The national average standalone premium is about $36 a month (CMS).

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Low-premium plans are widely available: CMS says 88% of people without Extra Help can get a basic plan for $10.30 or less.

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Annual Enrollment: October 15 through December 7, 2026.

Compare plans and enroll online

How Part D Works in Texas for 2027

Every Part D plan moves through three stages during the year, and the stage you are in decides what you pay at the pharmacy counter.

The Three Payment Stages

Deductible. You pay the full negotiated price until you meet your plan’s deductible, which can be up to $700 in 2027. Many plans charge less or waive it on lower tiers.

Initial coverage. You pay a copay or coinsurance set by each drug’s tier, and the plan pays the rest.

Catastrophic coverage. Once your out-of-pocket spending reaches $2,400, covered Part D drugs cost $0 for the rest of 2027.

$700

Maximum 2027 Part D deductible, up from $615.

$2,400

2027 Part D out-of-pocket cap, up from $2,100.

About $36

Average standalone Part D premium for 2027, rising by under $1 (CMS).

Expected average drug portion of a 2027 Medicare Advantage premium, lower than $11.32.

Texas Medicare Advantage Cuts and Drug Coverage

Insurer	2027 Change in Texas
HCSC (BCBS of Texas)	229 counties down to 47
Christus Health Plan	Leaving Medicare Advantage (36 Texas counties)
Memorial Hermann Health Plan	Leaving Medicare Advantage (6 Texas counties)

Guaranteed issue: when your Medicare Advantage plan exits your area, you can generally purchase certain Medicare Supplement plans with no health questions, up to 63 days after your coverage stops.

Understanding Medicare Part D Plans in Texas (2027)

What Changed for 2027

Part D Item	2026	2027
Maximum deductible	$615	$700
Out-of-pocket cap	$2,100	$2,400
Average standalone premium	$35.09	About $36
Base beneficiary premium	–	$41.33
Premium Stabilization Demonstration	In place	Ended

Source: CMS 2027 Part D figures, July and September 2026.

The end of the stabilization demonstration is the biggest pricing change. In 2025 and 2026 it held down some standalone premiums; for 2027, plans price normally, with base premium growth capped at 6% a year through 2029.

Find & Compare Plans Online

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What Every Part D Plan Covers

Every Part D plan must cover a wide range of drugs in commonly prescribed categories and all or substantially all drugs in six protected classes: antidepressants, antipsychotics, anticonvulsants, immunosuppressants for transplants, cancer drugs and HIV/AIDS drugs. Covered insulin costs no more than $35 for a month’s supply, and CDC-recommended adult vaccines covered under Part D cost $0.

Each plan has its own formulary and can change it within Medicare rules, so confirm every drug you take.

Drug Tiers and Coverage Rules

Tier	Typical Drugs	Typical Cost
Tier 1	Preferred generics	Lowest copay
Tier 2	Generics	Low copay
Tier 3	Preferred brand-name drugs	Moderate copay
Tier 4	Non-preferred drugs	Higher copay or coinsurance
Tier 5	Specialty drugs	Highest coinsurance

Each plan sets its own tiers. Review every plan’s formulary.

Plans can require prior authorization, step therapy or quantity limits on some drugs. If your doctor believes you need a drug as prescribed, you can request an exception, and you can appeal if the plan says no.

Navigating Pharmacy Networks and Drug Lists

Pharmacies: Preferred vs Standard

Your pharmacy choice can affect your yearly cost as much as your plan choice does. Most plans split their network into standard and preferred pharmacies. Preferred ones offer lower negotiated prices and often lower copays, while standard pharmacies are in network but usually cost more. Except in limited situations, out-of-network pharmacies are generally not covered.

Retail Pharmacy

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Pick up the same day

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Pharmacist on hand for questions

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Preferred retail pharmacies keep copays low

Mail Order

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90-day supplies of maintenance drugs

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Often the lowest copay for long-term medicines

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Delivered to your home

Taking maintenance drugs for diabetes, thyroid, cholesterol or blood pressure? Use the plan finder to compare a 90-day mail-order fill. For many people, nothing cuts costs more easily.

Standalone Part D vs Medicare Advantage Drug Coverage

Standalone Part D Plan

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Pairs with Original Medicare, by itself or alongside Medigap

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Average about $36 a month for 2027

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Choose any plan offered in your region

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Medical care stays with Original Medicare

Medicare Advantage With Drugs

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Drug coverage built into your health plan

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Drug portion averages about $7 a month for 2027

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One card and one plan for medical and drugs

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Medical care generally comes through the plan’s network

If you keep Original Medicare in Texas, with or without a Medigap plan, you need a standalone Part D plan for drug coverage. If you choose a Medicare Advantage plan with drug coverage, its drug benefit replaces a standalone plan.

How to Compare Texas Part D Plans

How to Pick a Plan

Write down every prescription. Include the strength, dose and how often you fill it.

Enter them in Medicare Plan Finder. Add your usual pharmacies and mail order.

Sort by estimated total cost. Premium plus drug costs for the full year.

Check tiers and rules on your drugs. Prior authorization, step therapy and quantity limits.

Confirm your pharmacy is preferred. Preferred pharmacies usually mean lower copays.

Enroll by December 7, 2026. Coverage starts January 1, 2027.

When large drug costs come early in the year, the Medicare Prescription Payment Plan lets you pay your out-of-pocket drug costs in monthly installments over the year rather than all at the pharmacy counter. Every Part D plan and every Medicare Advantage plan with drug coverage offers it, and your total amount owed stays the same.

Late Penalty and Extra Help

Late enrollment penalty: once your Initial Enrollment Period is over, going 63 days or more in a row with no Part D or other creditable drug coverage means Medicare adds 1% of the national base beneficiary premium for every full month without it. With the 2027 base beneficiary premium at $41.33, each uncovered month adds about $0.41 a month, and that lasts as long as you have Part D.

Extra Help: people with limited income and resources may qualify for Extra Help, which lowers Part D premiums, deductibles and copays. People enrolled in a Medicare Savings Program automatically qualify. See Extra Help and prescription assistance programs.

2027 Enrollment Dates

Enrollment Period	Dates	What You Can Do
Annual Enrollment Period	October 15 to December 7, 2026	Enroll in, change or leave a Medicare Advantage or Part D plan effective January 1, 2027
Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment	January 1 to March 31, 2027	Medicare Advantage members can make one switch to another plan or back to Original Medicare
Initial Enrollment Period	7 months around your 65th birthday month	Sign up for Medicare and choose your first plan
Special Enrollment Periods	Varies	Switch plans when something happens, such as a move, a loss of other coverage or your plan exiting your area

Annual Enrollment is when most people make their changes. If your current plan suits you, no action is needed, since it renews on its own. Even so, review your Annual Notice of Change, as networks, drug lists, copays and premiums may all change on January 1.

Free Part D Help in Texas

HICAP (Health Information, Counseling and Advocacy Program of Texas) offers free, unbiased Medicare counseling in Texas, including help comparing Part D plans with your drug list. You can also call 1-800-MEDICARE.

Free Help Comparing Plans

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Medicare Plan Finder at Medicare.gov, open any time

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Call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227) any time, 24 hours a day and seven days a week

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Your State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP), offering free and unbiased counseling

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A licensed agent or broker who compares plans from multiple insurers and charges you nothing

Gather your Medicare card, your drug list with doses, your doctors and the pharmacies you prefer before you call. Having them on hand keeps the conversation short.

If a Drug Is Not Covered

A drug you take might be missing from a plan’s 2027 formulary, or come with a rule such as prior authorization. Options remain:

If Your Drug Is Not Covered

Request a transition fill. During the first 90 days of a new plan or new plan year, plans generally have to provide a temporary supply of a drug you already take, giving you time to change drugs or ask for an exception.

Talk with your doctor about other options. A covered drug from the same class could work just as well for less.

Ask for a formulary or tiering exception. A statement from your doctor explains why you need the drug or a lower copay. The plan has to decide within set time limits.

Challenge a denial. When the plan turns you down, an appeal is available, with multiple levels of review.

See steps to appeal a Medicare Part D denial.

Help Paying for Drugs

Two programs can greatly lower Medicare costs for people with limited income and savings:

Medicare Savings Programs

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Run by your state Medicaid office

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May cover your Part B premium, and in some cases deductibles and coinsurance

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Income and asset limits vary by state

Extra Help (Part D)

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Run by Social Security

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Lowers Part D premiums, deductibles and copays

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Automatic eligibility for Medicare Savings Program members

If you qualify for both Medicare and full Medicaid, you may also be able to join a Dual Special Needs Plan. See help for low-income Part D beneficiaries.

Reading Your Annual Notice of Change

Check Every Line

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Your 2027 premium and deductible

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Copays for hospital stays, doctors and specialists

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The out-of-pocket maximum

that cover doctors & Rx drugs

1-877-436-2343 TTY 711