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Medicare Part D
Prescription Drug Coverage 2027

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Medicare Part D Plans Pennsylvania 2027: 8 Plans, PACE and PACENET

Reviewed by Russell Noga, Licensed Medicare Insurance Broker (all 50 states) — Last updated November 2, 2026

Pennsylvania has 8 standalone Medicare Part D plans for 2027 in our count of CMS 2027 plan filings, offered by Humana, Wellcare, UnitedHealthcare and HealthSpring. Residents 65 and older with qualifying income can layer PACE or PACENET on top of a Part D plan, which caps pharmacy copays at a few dollars per prescription.

2027 by the Numbers

8

standalone Part D plans in Pennsylvania for 2027 (our count of CMS 2027 plan filings)

4

sponsors filing Pennsylvania drug plans for 2027 (our count)

$6 / $9

PACE copays for generic and brand drugs (PA Department of Aging program, 2026)

336

individual Medicare Advantage plans filed in Pennsylvania for 2027 (our count)

Pennsylvania flips the usual Medicare picture. Its Medicare Advantage market is one of the busiest in the country, with Highmark, Capital Blue Cross, UPMC and others filing hundreds of plans, yet its standalone drug plan list is short. Our count of CMS 2027 plan filings finds 8 PDPs from 4 sponsors, and Medicare Plan Finder counts can differ slightly.

Two state programs, PACE and PACENET, make the short list easier to live with for lower- and middle-income seniors. Federal rules that apply everywhere, including the $2,400 out-of-pocket cap, are on the 2027 Part D hub.

Key Takeaways

  • Our count finds 8 standalone Part D plans for Pennsylvania in 2027: three from Humana, two each from UnitedHealthcare and Wellcare, and one from HealthSpring.
  • Our count found no SilverScript filing for the Pennsylvania region for 2027, which may matter to PACE cardholders.
  • PACE and PACENET limit copays to $6 to $15 per prescription for eligible residents 65 and older (2026 program amounts).
  • Pennsylvania’s 336 Medicare Advantage plans in our count dwarf its standalone list.
  • PA MEDI, formerly APPRISE, offers free Medicare counseling through local Area Agencies on Aging.

A Short Standalone List for 2027

Sponsor 2027 Pennsylvania PDPs Count
Humana Basic Rx Plan, Value Rx Plan, Premier Rx Plan 3
UnitedHealthcare Medicare Rx Preferred from UHC, Medicare Rx Saver from UHC 2
Wellcare Wellcare Classic, Wellcare Value Script 2
HealthSpring HealthSpring Assurance Rx 1

Our count of CMS 2027 plan filings, individual plans only. Medicare Plan Finder counts can differ slightly.

Missing from our count: our count found no SilverScript filing for the Pennsylvania region for 2027. Aetna filed SilverScript Choice in 20 of the 34 Part D regions in our count, and Pennsylvania does not appear to be one of them. Confirm on Medicare Plan Finder if you are enrolled in SilverScript now, because your plan’s Annual Notice of Change should say whether it continues.

Four sponsors is a thin field compared with North Carolina’s six. Each plan still sets its own 2027 premium, deductible up to $700 and drug tiers, so the gap between the cheapest and costliest option for your prescriptions can be large. Where Aetna’s plan is still sold is covered on the SilverScript 2027 page.

PACE and PACENET Eligibility

PACE PACENET
Prior-year income, single $14,500 or less $14,501 to $33,500
Prior-year income, married $17,700 or less $17,701 to $41,500
Generic copay $6 $8
Brand-name copay $9 $15
Part D premium Paid up to the regional benchmark for plans with a payment agreement Collected at the pharmacy in months you use the card

2026 program figures published by the PACE program administrator for the PA Department of Aging. Amounts may be updated for 2027.

Both programs require you to be 65 or older, a Pennsylvania resident for at least 90 days, and not receiving Medicaid prescription benefits. You can apply up to 30 days before your 65th birthday.

Copay Math: Part D Alone Versus Part D With PACE

Take a brand-name drug with a $480 monthly price on a plan using the standard 25% coinsurance after the deductible. Here is what one fill costs a cardholder, in our math from CMS 2027 parameters and 2026 PACE copays.

$120

your 25% share of a $480 brand fill after the deductible, Part D alone

$9

the PACE brand copay; the program may pay the difference

$15

the PACENET brand copay for the same fill

Filled every month for a year, that one drug would cost about $1,965 under the standard design: the $700 deductible plus 25% of the remaining $5,060. With PACE, your share stays at the copay, as long as the drug is covered and the pharmacy works with both your Part D plan and the program. Actual 2027 plan costs may differ depending on the plan.

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How PACE Coordinates With Your Part D Plan

1

Part D is voluntary but encouraged. PACE and PACENET may enroll eligible cardholders in a partner Part D plan.

2

Watch the partner list. For 2026 the partner plans were SilverScript Choice and Wellcare Classic. With no SilverScript filing for Pennsylvania in our 2027 count, the 2027 partner list may change.

3

Show both cards. Present your Part D card and your PACE or PACENET card at a pharmacy that participates with both.

4

Check before paying a plan directly. The program advises cardholders not to send premium payments to a Part D plan without checking with the program first.

Pennsylvania's Medicare Advantage Market by the Numbers

Our count of CMS 2027 plan filings

✔

336 individual Medicare Advantage plans statewide, about 40% of them PPOs

✔

Highmark files 75 plans, followed by Aetna with 40 and Capital Blue Cross and Devoted Health with 35 each

✔

UPMC for Life files 28 plans and Independence Blue Cross files 17

✔

Lancaster County has the most choice with 109 plans; Pike County has the fewest with 44

Several of those Blue and health-system insurers sell Medicare Advantage plans with drug coverage but no standalone PDP in Pennsylvania. If you want one of those brands, it comes bundled in an MA plan with a network. Keeping Original Medicare means picking from the eight standalone plans above.

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Extra Help and PACE Can Overlap

Two layers of help: Many PACE cardholders may also qualify for federal Extra Help, which has its own income and resource limits. Extra Help lowers premiums and copays inside the Part D plan, and PACE can cover remaining costs for covered drugs. A counselor can screen you for both.

Income and resource limits are listed on our 2027 Extra Help page. New York runs a different kind of state program; compare it on the New York 2027 Part D page.

PA MEDI: Free Counseling, Formerly APPRISE

Ask PA MEDI about

✔

Comparing the 8 standalone plans for your drugs

✔

Medicare Advantage versus Original Medicare

✔

Extra Help and Medicare Savings Programs

Ask the PACE program about

✔

Whether your income qualifies for PACE or PACENET

✔

Which 2027 Part D plans are partner plans

✔

Premium billing at the pharmacy for PACENET

PA MEDI, Pennsylvania’s Medicare Education and Decision Insight program, is run by the PA Department of Aging through local Area Agencies on Aging. Annual Enrollment runs October 15 to December 7, 2026, and new coverage starts January 1, 2027.

The Bottom Line

The Bottom Line

Pennsylvania’s standalone Part D list is short for 2027, with 8 plans from 4 sponsors in our count and no SilverScript filing we could find. PACE and PACENET can shrink pharmacy copays to between $6 and $15 for eligible residents 65 and older. Check the program’s 2027 partner plans and get a free review from PA MEDI before December 7.

We do not offer every plan available in your area. Any information we provide is limited to those plans we do offer in your area. Please contact Medicare.gov or 1-800-MEDICARE (TTY 1-877-486-2048) to get information on all of your options.

Frequently Asked Questions

➤ How many standalone drug plans can Pennsylvanians buy for 2027?

Eight in our count of CMS 2027 plan filings, from Humana, UnitedHealthcare, Wellcare and HealthSpring.

➤ Is SilverScript leaving Pennsylvania?

Our count found no SilverScript filing for the Pennsylvania region for 2027. Current members should read their Annual Notice of Change and confirm on Medicare Plan Finder.

➤ Do I have to join a Part D plan to get PACE?

No. Part D enrollment is voluntary for PACE and PACENET cardholders, though the program encourages it and may enroll you in a partner plan.

➤ What is the PACENET income limit?

For 2026, prior-year income of $14,501 to $33,500 for a single person or $17,701 to $41,500 for a married couple.

➤ Does PACE pay my Part D premium?

PACE pays Part D premiums up to the regional benchmark for plans with a payment agreement. PACENET members pay a premium at the pharmacy in months they use the card.

➤ Why does Pennsylvania have so many Medicare Advantage plans but few drug plans?

Many Pennsylvania insurers, including Blue plans and health systems, sell only Medicare Advantage. Standalone drug plans come mainly from national sponsors.

➤ What happened to APPRISE?

Pennsylvania renamed its free Medicare counseling program PA MEDI. It is still run through local Area Agencies on Aging.

➤ Which Pennsylvania county has the most Medicare Advantage plans?

Lancaster County, with 109 plans for 2027 in our count.

ZRN Health & Financial Services, LLC, a Texas limited liability company.

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