Eligibility

To be eligible to participate in Medicare's prescription drug benefit, individuals must be enrolled in or entitled to receive benefits from Medicare Part A or B.

Dual Eligibles

Individuals who qualify for both Medicaid and Medicare are "full-benefit, dual eligibles." Nursing home residents who are dual eligibles will not be required to pay any premiums, deductibles or prescription co-pays.

If these beneficiaries do not choose a PDP or MA plan, CMS will auto-enroll dual eligible individuals in a randomly selected, standard PDP benefit plan in the region where they reside. However, if the beneficiary is already enrolled in an MA plan for medical benefits, the individual will be automatically enrolled in the Part D plan offered by that MA plan.