Senior Health Insurance Program (SHIP)
Free, unbiased Medicare counseling in Rhode Island. Trained counselors go through your costs and choices with you, and they don't sell plans.
Prescription costs
RIPAE: help with drug costs in Rhode Island
Rhode Island Pharmaceutical Assistance to the Elderly (RIPAE) pays part of the cost of covered prescriptions for older Rhode Islanders with a Medicare drug plan.
Depending on your income, you pay up to 40%, 70% or 85% of the cost and RIPAE pays the rest. You may qualify if you are 65 or older and your income is under the state's yearly limit.
Who may qualify in Rhode Island
| Age | 65 or older, or 55 to 64 and getting Social Security Disability (discount only) |
|---|---|
| Income | Under a yearly limit that rises each January with the Social Security cost-of-living increase |
| Medicare drug plan | Must be enrolled in a Medicare Part D plan |
| Where you live | Full-time Rhode Island resident |
Source: Rhode Island Department of State (state regulation) (source 1)
What you may get
| What RIPAE pays | If you are 65 or older, you pay up to 40%, 70% or 85% of the cost of covered drugs, depending on income, after other insurance and discounts; RIPAE pays the rest |
|---|---|
| If you are 55 to 64 and on Social Security Disability | You pay the RIPAE discount price for covered drugs |
Source: Rhode Island Department of State (state regulation) (source 1)
Good to know
- RIPAE pays last, after your Part D plan and any other coverage.
Source: Rhode Island Department of State (state regulation) (source 1)
Free help
Free help with this in Rhode Island
Office of Healthy Aging (OHA)
Your local Area Agency on Aging can help with meals, rides, help at home, caregiver support and applying for benefits.
More help in Rhode Island
State help with drug costs in another state
- Alabama
- Alaska
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- California
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- District of Columbia
- Florida
- Georgia
- Hawaii
- Idaho
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Maine
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- Montana
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- New York
- North Carolina
- North Dakota
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Utah
- Vermont
- Virginia
- Washington
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
- Wyoming
Sources
- Rhode Island Department of State (state regulation), Rules, Regulations, and Standards Governing the Pharmaceutical Assistance to the Elderly Program (218-RICR-40-00-2) (official government site). Checked Oct 28, 2026.
- Medicare.gov (Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services), Find out if your state has a State Pharmaceutical Assistance Program: Rhode Island (official government site). Checked Oct 28, 2026.
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