Medicare

Medicare Part D Drug Plans in Brighton, CO

Part D is Medicare prescription drug coverage. With Original Medicare, alone or with a Medigap plan, you get it through a stand-alone drug plan. The right one covers your medicines at the pharmacy you use for the lowest total cost across the year, which is rarely the one with the lowest premium.

We do not offer every plan available in your area. Currently we represent 10 organizations which offer 106 products in your area. Please contact Medicare.gov, 1-800-MEDICARE, or your local State Health Insurance Program (SHIP) to get information on all of your options. Headwaters Health and Wealth is not connected with or endorsed by the United States government or the federal Medicare program. Medicare has neither endorsed nor reviewed this information.

Lisa Asmussen, Medicare broker at Headwaters Health and Wealth, outside the office in Brighton, Colorado

What to know before you choose

For 2027 the CMS Landscape lists 8 stand-alone Part D plans in Colorado, with monthly premiums from $5.30 to $260.20 and deductibles from $300 to $700 (CMS CY2027 Landscape). Premium is only one piece. Each plan has its own drug list (formulary), its own tiers and its own preferred pharmacies, so two plans with similar premiums can be hundreds of dollars apart once your prescriptions are priced.

There is a yearly cap on what you pay out of pocket for covered Part D drugs. In 2026 the cap is $2,100; once you reach it, covered drugs cost you $0 for the rest of the year. For 2027 CMS has set the cap at $2,400 and the most a plan's deductible can be at $700 (CMS CY2027 Rate Announcement). The cap helps most if you take expensive medicines, but how quickly you reach it, and what you pay on the way, still depends on the plan.

A worked example, as an illustration only. Suppose your covered prescriptions are costly enough to reach the cap in 2027. You pay up to $700 first if your plan uses the full deductible, then your copays or coinsurance until your out-of-pocket spending reaches $2,400, then $0 for covered drugs for the rest of the year. Under the 2026 rules the same year stopped at $2,100, so the most you can spend on covered drugs rises by $300. Your premium is paid on top of the cap, and drugs not on the plan's list do not count toward it.

Timing matters. If you go 63 days or more in a row without Part D or other creditable drug coverage after your Initial Enrollment Period, Medicare adds a late enrollment penalty to your premium for as long as you have Part D. It is 1% of the national base premium for each full month without coverage, rounded to the nearest 10 cents (Medicare.gov). The base premium is $38.99 in 2026 and $41.33 in 2027 (CMS), so 20 months without coverage adds $7.80 a month in 2026 and $8.30 a month in 2027, recalculated every year.

Many Medicare Advantage plans include Part D, so this page is mainly for people on Original Medicare. If you are comparing the two routes, I price your drugs both ways so the comparison is fair.

Your needs and situation are unique, and I am committed to spending the time to get to know you so you get coverage and support that fits your lifestyle.

Colorado rules to know

Extra Help, the federal program that lowers Part D premiums and copays for people with limited income and savings, is applied for through Social Security. People enrolled in a Health First Colorado Medicare Savings Program qualify for Extra Help automatically.

Colorado's Medicare Savings Programs, run by Health First Colorado, can also pay your Part B premium. For 2026 the income limits for a single person run from $1,350 a month (QMB) to $1,816 a month (QI-1) (Colorado HCPF), and working income can raise the limit. Apply through your county human services office or PEAK.

The Colorado SHIP helpline, 1-888-696-7213, offers unbiased counseling on Part D at no cost.

How and when to enroll

  1. Join when you first get Medicare, during your seven month Initial Enrollment Period, unless you have creditable drug coverage from work.
  2. If you are working past 65, ask your employer plan for its creditable coverage notice every year and keep it; it protects you from the penalty.
  3. Review every fall: Annual Enrollment runs October 15 to December 7, 2026 for coverage starting January 1, 2027.
  4. Give me each medicine by name, dose and how often you take it, plus your pharmacy. I price them across the plans I offer and you choose.

Common mistakes to avoid

  • Picking the lowest premium without pricing your drugs.
  • Skipping Part D because you take no medicines today. The penalty is permanent and new prescriptions are hard to predict.
  • Not checking the pharmacy. Preferred pharmacy pricing can change your cost more than the premium does.
  • Ignoring the Annual Notice of Change. Drug lists and tiers change every January.

How Lisa helps

  • Every prescription priced by name, dose and pharmacy, not guessed
  • Estimated total yearly cost compared: premium plus drug costs
  • Prior authorization, step therapy and quantity limits flagged up front
  • A creditable coverage check if you are working past 65, to avoid the late penalty
  • Extra Help and Health First Colorado Medicare Savings Program screening for limited incomes
  • A fresh drug review every Annual Enrollment Period

Who it fits

You have Original Medicare, alone or with a Medigap plan, and need drug coverage. Or you already have a Part D plan and want to know whether it still fits your 2027 prescriptions.

Should I just pick the Part D plan with the lowest premium?

Not without pricing your drugs. A low premium plan can put one of your medicines on a high tier or leave it off the drug list, and that can cost more over a year than the premium saves. Compare the total yearly cost for your exact prescriptions at your pharmacy, then decide.

Sources: CY2027 Medicare Advantage and Part D Landscape (Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, 2027) ; CY2027 Medicare Advantage and Part D Rate Announcement (Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, 2026/2027) ; CY2027 Part D national average bid and base beneficiary premium (Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, 2027) ; Medicare Savings Programs (MSP), Health First Colorado (Colorado Department of Health Care Policy and Financing, 2026) . Reviewed 2026-10-14.

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FAQ

Part D Prescription Drug Plans: common questions

Should I just pick the Part D plan with the lowest premium?

Not without pricing your drugs. A low premium plan can put one of your medicines on a high tier or leave it off the drug list, and that can cost more over a year than the premium saves. Compare the total yearly cost for your exact prescriptions at your pharmacy, then decide.

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

For 2027 CMS has set the yearly out-of-pocket threshold for covered Part D drugs at $2,400, up from $2,100 in 2026, and the most a plan's deductible can be at $700. Once you reach the cap, covered drugs cost you $0 for the rest of the year. Premiums are paid on top.

How do I avoid the Part D late enrollment penalty?

Join a Part D plan, or a Medicare Advantage plan with drug coverage, when you first get Medicare, unless you have creditable drug coverage from an employer or another source. A gap of 63 days or more in a row without creditable coverage can add a penalty for as long as you have Part D.

Can I change my Part D plan during the year?

Usually only during Annual Enrollment, October 15 to December 7. Special Enrollment Periods apply after events such as a move or qualifying for Extra Help or Health First Colorado. That is why pricing your drugs carefully each fall matters.

How do I get help paying for prescriptions on Medicare in Colorado?

Apply for Extra Help through Social Security, and check Health First Colorado Medicare Savings Programs through your county human services office or PEAK. Enrolling in a Medicare Savings Program qualifies you for Extra Help automatically.

We speak insurance, so you don't have to.

Part D Prescription Drug Plans in Brighton, the northeast Denver metro and across Colorado: no pressure, plain answers, and a review every year.

992 South Fourth Avenue, Brighton, CO 80601 · (303) 887-8584

Content reviewed by Lisa Asmussen, Medicare Broker and Licensed Insurance Agent at Headwaters Health and Wealth in Brighton, Colorado, certified to sell Medicare plans since 2018 (8 years). Last updated .