Dear Juan, 

State Pharmaceutical Assistance Programs (SPAPs) are state-created and administered programs to help residents pay for prescription drugs. An SPAP may help pay for your Part D plan’s premium, deductible, or copayments.  

Each SPAP works differently. States may design their SPAP to target different populations and different pharmaceutical costs. Some states coordinate their drug assistance programs with Medicare’s prescription drug benefit (Part D) and require that you sign up for Part D to receive assistance. In these cases, if a drug is covered by both your SPAP and your Part D plan, the SPAP can lower your costs at the pharmacy for each prescription and your overall annual costs. Both the amount you pay and the amount the SPAP pays toward your covered drugs will count toward the Part D out-of-pocket cap. Certain states have qualified SPAPs. Being enrolled in a qualified SPAP gives you a Special Enrollment Period (SEP) to enroll in or make changes to your Part D coverage. 

You can visit Medicare.gov to find out if your state has an SPAP. For help with learning about and applying for SPAPs, call your State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP). You can find your local SHIP by calling 877-839-2675 or visiting www.shiphelp.org. 

Hope this answers your question! 

-Marci