Extra Help with Medicare Prescription Drug Costs
What is the Medicare Low Income Subsidy (LIS)?
People with limited resources and income may qualify for Extra Help to pay for their prescription drug costs. Extra Help is referred to as a low income subsidy (LIS) and helps pay for a part of your Part D monthly premium, annual deductible, and copayments.
If you get Extra Help from Medicare to help pay for your Medicare prescription drug plan costs, your monthly plan premium will be lower than what it would be if you did not get Extra Help from Medicare—unless your plan premium is already $0.
The amount of Extra Help you get determines your monthly plan premium as a member of Optima Medicare HMO. Extra Help does not include any Medicare Part B premium you may have to pay.
Additional Resources
You may be able to get Extra Help to pay for your prescription drug premiums and costs. To see if you qualify for getting Extra Help call:
- The Social Security Administration at 1-800-772-1213. TTY/TDD users should call 1-800-325-0778 between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m., Monday through Friday. You can also apply at your local Social Security Office.
- 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227) or TTY/TDD users call 1-877-486-2048 (twenty-four (24) hours a day/seven (7) days a week).
- Your State Medicaid Office.
If you have any questions, please call Optima Medicare member services at 1-800-927-6048. TTY users can contact us through the Virginia Relay Service at 1-800-828-1140 or 711. From October 1st until March 31st, you can call us 7 days a week from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. EST. From April 1st until September 30th, you can call us Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. EST.
Last Updated: 10/6/2021