Is Medicare Prescription Drug Coverage Mandatory? 
That is a great question ! The answer is one of those , `` no , but you should '' answers . Like health insurance is n't mandatory , having it is very wise , and not having it has penalties . It iskind of like that with your prescription coverage . While it is n't mandatory to have , the cost of your prescriptions without it is often prohibitive . A prescription that Medicare covers may only cost you a couple of dollars , that without the coverage would cost $ 45-50 dollars or more . On a fixed income , and looking at stretching a retirement fund , I 'd wholeheartedly recommend that you enroll in the plan . Thanks for asking ! 