What’s new &
important?
Medicare strives to improve access to affordable treatments to keep you healthy.
Check out what’s new this year to help you manage your health.
Saving money on your prescription drugs
Starting January 1, 2024, if you have Medicare drug coverage (Part D) and your drug
costs are high enough to reach the catastrophic coverage phase, you don’t have to pay
a copayment or coinsurance. Extra Help—a program that helps cover your Part D drug
costs—will expand to cover more drug costs for certain people with limited resources
and income. Go to pages 83 and 92.
Coinsurance amounts for some Part B-covered drugs may be less if a prescription
drug’s price increased higher than the rate of inflation. Go to page 40.
Lower costs for insulin and vaccines
Your Medicare drug plan can't charge you more than $35 for a one-month supply of
each insulin product Part D covers, and you don’t have to pay a deductible for it. Go to
page 88.
If you take insulin through a traditional pump that’s covered under Medicare’s durable
medical equipment benefit, that insulin is covered under Medicare Part B. You won’t
pay more than $35 for a month’s supply and the Medicare deductible no longer
applies. Go to pages 39 and 88.
Recommended adult vaccines are also now available at no cost to you. Go to page 50.
Changes to telehealth coverage
You can still get telehealth services at any location in the U.S., including your home,
until the end of 2024. After that, you must be in an office or medical facility located in
a rural area to get most telehealth services. There are some exceptions, like for mental
health services. Go to page 51.
Managing and treating chronic pain
Medicare now covers monthly services to treat chronic pain if you’ve been living with it
for more than 3 months. Go to page 34.
Better mental health care
Starting January 1, 2024, Medicare will cover intensive outpatient program services
provided by hospitals, community mental health centers, and other locations if you
need mental health care. Go to pages 46–47.
More times to sign up for Medicare
If you recently lost (or will soon lose) Medicaid, you may be able to sign up for
Medicare or change your current Medicare coverage. There are other special situations
that allow you to sign up for Medicare. Go to page 18.
COVID-19 care
Medicare continues to cover the COVID-19 vaccine, and several tests and treatments to
keep you and others safe. Go to page 37.