Free tool
What would a late Part D penalty cost me?
1% of the national base premium for every month you went without drug coverage, added to your premium permanently. Small per month, large over a retirement.
What this can't do: An estimate. Creditable coverage from an employer or the VA usually means no penalty.
The trap: skipping Part D because you take no pills
It looks like the obvious call. You take no prescriptions, so why pay for drug coverage? The problem is that the penalty counts every month you go without, and it doesn't stop counting because you were healthy. Ten years of no medications is 120 uncovered months, and that penalty then rides along with you for the rest of your life at exactly the point you finally need the drugs.
That's why a lot of people with no medications still join the cheapest plan they can find: it closes the meter.
The full version is in I take no prescriptions. Do I still need Part D?
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Where these numbers come from
- Medicare.gov — Part D late enrollment penalty (2026 base premium $38.99)
- Medicare.gov — Avoid late enrollment penalties
These are the 2026 amounts. CMS usually publishes the next year's figures in mid-November and SSA in October; after that, check the source links before relying on a result.
Free, official help with your own decision
This tool does arithmetic on published rules. For a decision about your own coverage, use the official sources. They're free and they don't sell anything.
- Medicare.gov The official government site to compare plans and check coverage yourself.
- SHIP: free local counseling Your State Health Insurance Assistance Program: free, unbiased Medicare help.