Medicare Part B vs. Medicare Part D

Medicare Part B vs. Part D

Part B is your medical coverage. Part D is your prescription drug coverage. However, depending on the type of medications you receive and where you receive them, there are times when you will need to use your Part B medical coverage for prescriptions and pharmacy-related items.

Original Medicare
Part B Medical Insurance

Doctor visits
Outpatient care
Medical supplies
Some preventive services

Items that may be covered by Medicare Part B, and not Part D:

Certain medications (commonly referred to as Part B drugs)
Durable medical equipment (wheelchairs, diabetic test strips, nebulizers, etc.)
Specialty pharmacy
Mail-order pharmacy

Confused by Medicare terms?

Look it up in the Cigna Medicare Glossary

Part B

Part B is your medical coverage. This part pays for things like doctor visits, lab tests, and home health care.

Medicare requires that certain medications and durable medical equipment (like diabetic test strips, nebulizers, and wheelchairs) be covered under Part B.

You may receive your Part B medical coverage through your former employer, through a standalone plan, or directly from Medicare.

You need to pay a Part B premium to Medicare every month.

Remember, just because you can purchase an item at a pharmacy, it does not mean that item is covered by your prescription drug plan. Certain health supplies or equipment may be covered by the medical part of your Medicare plan, Part B.

Part D

Part D is your prescription drug coverage. This part pays for any medications you take regularly to manage chronic conditions, for example, heart disease, high cholesterol, or asthma. It also pays for any medications you take for a short period of time, such as antibiotics.

Many retail pharmacies cannot bill a medical plan for Medicare medical prescriptions (commonly referred to as Part B drugs) or medical equipment.

If you need Part B drugs or medical equipment, ask if your pharmacy is able to bill your medical plan directly. Or, consider using these types of specialty service providers:

Medical equipment
Home infusion
Home health care
Specialty pharmacy
Medical specialty service
Mail-order pharmacy

If you need help finding a specialty provider, contact us.

Where are you in your Medicare journey?

More in Understanding Medicare

Language Assistance

Disclaimers

All Cigna products and services are provided exclusively by or through operating subsidiaries of Cigna Corporation, including Cigna Health and Life Insurance Company, Cigna HealthCare of South Carolina, Inc., Cigna HealthCare of North Carolina, Inc., Cigna HealthCare of Georgia, Inc., Cigna HealthCare of Arizona, Inc., Cigna HealthCare of St. Louis, Inc., HealthSpring Life & Health Insurance Company, Inc., HealthSpring of Florida, Inc., Bravo Health Mid-Atlantic, Inc., and Bravo Health Pennsylvania, Inc. The Cigna name, logos, and other Cigna marks are owned by Cigna Intellectual Property, Inc.

Cigna-HealthSpring is contracted with Medicare for PDP plans, HMO and PPO plans in select states, and with select State Medicaid programs. Enrollment in Cigna-HealthSpring depends on contract renewal.

Medicare Supplement Policy Disclaimers

Website not approved for use in: Colorado, Florida, Montana, North Dakota, and Oregon.

AN OUTLINE OF COVERAGE IS AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST.

Our company and agents are not connected with or endorsed by the U.S. Government or the federal Medicare program. This is a solicitation for insurance. An insurance agent may contact you. Premium and benefits vary by plan selected. Plan availability varies by state. Medicare Supplement policies are underwritten by Cigna Health and Life Insurance Company, American Retirement Life Insurance Company or Loyal American Life Insurance Company. Each insurer has sole responsibility for its own products.

The following Medicare Supplement Plans are available to persons eligible for Medicare due to disability: Plan A in Connecticut, Maryland, Oklahoma & Texas; Plans A, F & N in California; Plans A & C in Michigan; Plans A & F in North Carolina; and Plan C in New Jersey for individuals aged 50-64.

Selecting these links will take you away from Cigna Medicare Advantage and Medicare Part D Prescription Drug Plan information.

This web site uses files in Adobe Acrobat Portable Document Format (PDF). This is useful for forms that you want to view and/or print. To view or print these files, you must download and install the free Adobe Acrobat Reader. Get Adobe Reader