When medically necessary, Medicare may cover Adderall under Part D. Part A may provide coverage if you get it while hospitalized. Medicare may also cover the generic version.
Adderall is a prescription medication that doctors primarily use to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
Some Medicare plans may offer coverage for Adderall, a brand name for amphetamine and dextroamphetamine. However, some plans may only cover the generic version.
Read on to learn about Medicare coverage options for Adderall. This article also looks at costs, the Extra Help program, and more.
Glossary of Medicare terms
We may use a few terms in this piece that can be helpful to understand when selecting the best insurance plan:
- Deductible: This is an annual amount that a person must spend out of pocket within a certain time period before an insurer starts to fund their treatments.
- Coinsurance: This is a percentage of a treatment cost that a person will need to self-fund. For Medicare Part B, this comes to 20%.
- Copayment: This is a fixed dollar amount that an insured person pays when receiving certain treatments. For Medicare, this usually applies to prescription drugs.
Part D is a prescription drug plan that those with Original Medicare can choose. A stand-alone Medicare Part D plan may cover Adderall, but this depends on a person’s specific plan.
Each Part D plan provides a list of the brand-name and generic drugs it covers, known as a formulary. If the plan doesn’t cover the brand name drug Adderall, it may only cover the generic version of the medication.
This is because private insurance companies that Medicare has approved administer Part D plans. A person’s specific plan might differ depending on the plan provider and where they live, as not all plans are available in all regions.
Each year, Medicare sends an Annual Notice of Change (ANOC) document that informs people about Medicare changes, including those affecting coverage. A person can check whether the plan provider has changed their formulary by adding or removing a drug, such as Adderall.
When a person has a Medicare Advantage plan, they cannot enroll in Part D. However, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation, in 2025, 34 out of 42 Medicare Advantage plans will include prescription drug coverage.
Medicare Part A
Original Medicare Part A occasionally provides coverage for Adderall. Medicare Part A covers inpatient hospital care, including the medication that someone receives while in the hospital.
Usually, Part A covers Adderall if someone takes it during their stay in the hospital or skilled nursing facility. Once the individual leaves the facility, Part A no longer covers the cost, and Part D will take over.
Generally speaking, the costs of Adderall vary based on the pharmacy that dispenses it and whether you purchase the brand-name drug or a generic version.
If a person does not have prescription drug coverage, they are responsible for the full cost. What they may pay out of pocket with Part D coverage depends on the rules of their plan.
Along with a monthly premium, Part D plans may also have copayments that vary among plan providers. Some Part D plans also have a deductible that a person must pay before their plan covers any costs. Deductible amounts may vary. In 2025, no Part D plan may have a deductible of more than $590.
If a person with Medicare needs assistance with paying for prescription drugs, such as Adderall, they may qualify for the Extra Help program.
Extra Help covers some of the costs associated with Part D prescription drug coverage, such as:
- deductibles
- monthly Part D premiums
- copayments
A person may automatically qualify for Extra Help if they:
- receive both Medicare and Medicaid
- have a Medicare savings program (MSP)
- receive Supplemental Security Income
Those who qualify do not usually need to enroll. They should receive a notice from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services letting them know that they are eligible.
If someone does not meet the eligibility requirements, they may qualify for Extra Help based on their income, as long as they have Medicare Part A and live in the United States.
According to the Social Security Administration, Extra Help is worth about $6,200 annually. Individuals can apply for Extra Help online or in person through their local Social Security office.
What tier prescription is Adderall?
Every Part D plan has a formulary in which medications are divided into tiers. A person’s out-of-pocket costs depend on the drug’s assigned tier.
That said, since private insurers administer Part D plans, every plan sets its own tiers. This means that the assigned tier for Adderall varies depending on your specific plan.
What other ADHD medications does Medicare pay for?
All Medicare Part D plans are required to cover most drugs within certain protected classes. These include medications for cancer, HIV, depression, psychosis, seizures, and organ transplants. However, drugs like Adderall, commonly used to treat ADHD, are not included in this requirement. This means that your coverage of stimulant drugs depends on your plan.
That said, Part D plans should cover non-stimulant drugs for ADHD, such as (Strattera), a selective norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor (sNRI), or viloxazine (Qelbree), a serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor (SNRI), as these medications also treat depression.
Learn more: Nonstimulant ADHD medications for adults.
Medicare covers Adderall as long as the drug is medically necessary for a person’s health or well-being. In most cases, Part D prescription drug plans cover the cost of Adderall.
Depending on the plan, Medicare may only cover the generic version of Adderall. The costs of Part D plans differ, and the out-of-pocket expenses relating to Adderall may vary.
A person can contact Medicare to find out more about whether their specific plan covers Adderall.
