Over 306,000 West Virginia residents enrolled in a Medicare Part D prescription drug plan. Most of them are enrolled in a stand-alone Part D plan. Others, however, have chosen to get their prescription drug plan through a Medicare Advantage supplement instead.

West Virginia Medicare Part D plans for 2024

Prescription drugs can get ridiculously expensive if you don’t have the right insurance plan. Medicare Part D brings down the price of costly prescriptions but asks you to help with the costs by charging a monthly premium and an annual deductible.

Once you hit your deductible, your drugs become much cheaper. But you have to pay your premium every month to keep your plan.

Part D plans with the lowest premium

Not all premiums and deductibles are the same. For example, in the chart below, Aetna only charges a little over $7 monthly for their plan. That makes them the cheapest plan provider available. Humana is the exact opposite, charging nearly $23 per month for its drug plan.

You can also use customer service ratings to help you decide on a plan if your monthly premium isn’t that important to you. Clear Spring has below-average customer service ratings, which might make you want to check them off your list.

PLAN PREMIUM DEDUCTIBLE STAR RATING GAP COVERAGE
Aetna $7.20 $480 3 No
Wellcare $12.90 $480 3 No
Clear Spring $18.20 $480 2 No
Elixir $20.30 $480 3 No
Humana $22.70 $480 4 No

Part D plans with a zero-dollar deductible

Zero-dollar deductibles are great because they help you get your discounted drugs much faster. Sadly, they also come with higher monthly premiums, like Highmark Inc.’s $179 monthly premium. Wellcare only charges $69 per month for their plan. This could be good if you have costly medications you need discounts on immediately. But the program does not include gap coverage, which you might need depending on your medications’ costs.

Aetna and UnitedHealthcare are tied to plans with gap coverage and high customer service ratings. But since Aetna is $25 cheaper, it’s probably the more popular plan.

PLAN PREMIUM DEDUCTIBLE STAR RATING GAP COVERAGE
Wellcare $69.00 $0 3 No
Aetna $73.30 $0 3 Yes
Avalon Insurance $90.50 $0 4 No
UnitedHealthcare $101.00 $0 3 Yes
Highmark Inc. $178.30 $0 4 Yes

Part D plans with gap coverage

If your prescriptions are too expensive, you might hit a spending threshold, putting you in the Medicare coverage gap. If you want to protect yourself on the cheap, UnitedHealthcare only costs $661 per year when you add up your monthly premiums and that expensive deductible.

All of the other plans are more expensive. Even though Aetna doesn’t charge you a deductible, it will cost you over $840 yearly in monthly premiums. Highmark Inc is the most costly of all the options below. But they have gap coverage, and high customer service ratings might make them worth the price.

PLAN PREMIUM DEDUCTIBLE STAR RATING GAP COVERAGE
UnitedHealthcare $29.30 $310 4 Yes
Cigna $61.70 $100 3 Yes
Aetna $73.30 $0 3 Yes
UnitedHealthcare $101.00 $0 3 Yes
Highmark Inc. $178.30 $0 4 Yes

Part D plans with a Low-Income Subsidy

Almost 89,000 Medicare beneficiaries in West Virginia automatically qualify for low-income subsidy plans. If you’re struggling to pay for your prescriptions, you should check your eligibility status and apply if you are eligible. Since all of the plans below have the same annual deductible, the price difference all comes down to the monthly premium. This low cost makes Clear Spring your best option if you need to save the most money.

UnitedHealthcare, however, is only $62 more expensive per year. They have the highest customer service ratings of any other plan. Aetna is the cheapest plan on this list, with an above-average customer service rating. But the deductible plus the monthly premiums will still cost you $880 annually, and you also have to budget for your drugs.

PLAN PREMIUM DEDUCTIBLE STAR RATING GAP COVERAGE
Clear Spring $32.80 $480 2 No
Aetna $33.30 $480 3 No
Wellcare $35.90 $480 3 No
Cigna $36.80 $480 3 No
UnitedHealthcare $38.00 $480 4 No

Amount of beneficiaries that fall into each Part D coverage phase in West Virginia

So what’s this “donut hole” that we keep referencing? It’s an unfortunately expensive gap in coverage between your initial coverage phase and catastrophic coverage.

Very few people fall into this gap, but if you do, you’ll pay 25% of each prescription you fill. Thankfully, this coverage phase resets annually, so you won’t be in that gap forever.

Deductible Phase Initial Coverage Phase Coverage Gap Phase Catastrophic Phase
52,542 117,012 34,289 30,364

West Virginia cities with estimates for prescription drug coverage costs

Take a look at the charts linked below to find out what estimated premiums you should expect to pay for each type of Medicare Part D medication coverage in the cities listed:

Charleston
Huntington
Morgantown
Parkersburg
Wheeling

FAQs

What is the most popular Medicare Part D plan in West Virginia?

What plan is the most popular is a tricky question to answer. It depends on what is most important to you, such as getting the lowest price, getting gap coverage, or paying a $0 deductible.

Is GoodRx better than Medicare Part D in West Virginia?

You’ll have to do much research to determine which program could give you the lowest drug prices. But Medicare Part D is at least reliable. They have to provide you with written notice if they change their prices. GoodRx prices change all the time with no warning.

What is the max out-of-pocket for Medicare Part D in West Virginia?

There isn’t a maximum out-of-pocket amount for prescription drugs covered under Medicare Part D. Instead, you’ll move through the coverage phases as you spend money on your prescriptions.

How to get help signing up for a Medicare Part D plan in West Virginia

If you’re having trouble selecting a plan, let us help you shop for the best deal. All it takes is one quick phone call. Our agents will give you free rate quotes from the best Part D plan providers in your area. We also have connections with the highest quality providers, so you can confidently get the best deal.

So if you’re ready, give us a call today. Or take a moment to fill out our short and simple online rate form to be connected with the best rates in your area.

Written By:
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Lindsay Malzone, Lindsay Malzone is the Medicare editor for Medigap.com. She's been contributing to many well-known publications since 2017. Her passion is educating Medicare beneficiaries on all their supplemental Medicare options so they can make an informed decision on their healthcare coverage.
Reviewed By:
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Rodolfo Marrero, Rodolfo Marrero is one of the co-founders at Medigap.com. He has been helping consumers find the right coverage since the site was founded in 2013. Rodolfo is a licensed insurance agent that works hand-in-hand with the team to ensure the accuracy of the content.