Delaware Prescription Assistance Program (DPAP): Eligibility, Benefits and How to Apply

A single maintenance medication can cost hundreds a month out of pocket, even with Part D coverage. Delaware runs its own prescription assistance program — DPAP — that puts up to $3,000 a year toward drug costs and Part D premiums for qualifying residents. It's separate from Medicaid, separate from Extra Help, and most families have never heard of it.

What DPAP Covers

The Delaware Prescription Assistance Program provides up to $3,000 per person per benefit year toward covered prescription drugs and Medicare Part D plan premiums. The benefit doesn't roll over — any unused balance at year-end expires.

For a DPAP-covered prescription, you pay 25% of the prescription cost or $5, whichever is greater. The pharmacy submits the claim to DPAP for the eligible balance, subject to your annual $3,000 allowance.

DPAP can also help with your monthly Part D premium, which preserves more of the $3,000 for actual prescriptions.

What DPAP doesn't cover: over-the-counter medications, diabetic supplies billed under Medicare Part B, and Part D copayments. For Part D, DPAP can help with premiums, deductibles, and eligible coverage-gap drug costs.

Who Qualifies

DPAP eligibility requires all of these:

• Delaware resident with documented residency
• Age 65 or older, or between 19 and 64 with SSDI entitlement
• Income at or below 200% FPL — that's $2,660/month individual or $3,607/month couple in 2026
• Not enrolled in full Medicaid prescription coverage
• No asset test — DPAP, like Delaware's Medicare Savings Programs, does not count savings, home equity, or retirement accounts

There's also a high-cost exception: if your annual prescription costs exceed 40% of your gross annual income, you can qualify even above the 200% FPL ceiling.

DPAP Requires Part D and Extra Help

Here's the requirement that catches people off guard: if you are eligible for Medicare, you must show proof of enrollment in a Medicare Part D plan and in Extra Help, if eligible, within 90 days from the date your DPAP benefits begin.

This is the billing sequence that makes the program work. Part D is the primary payer. DPAP may help with Part D premiums, deductibles, and eligible coverage-gap drug costs, but it does not pay Part D copayments. DPAP assistance toward covered Part D drug costs counts toward your Part D True Out-of-Pocket (TrOOP) spending.

How the Billing Works at the Pharmacy

When you fill a prescription, the transaction processes in this order:

1. Part D plan adjudicates first — applies your plan's copay or coinsurance
2. Extra Help (if enrolled) reduces that cost-sharing, often to $5.10 for generics or $12.65 for brand-name drugs
3. DPAP may help with Part D premiums, deductibles, and eligible coverage-gap drug costs; it does not pay Part D copayments. For eligible drugs outside Part D coverage, you pay 25% of the prescription cost or $5, whichever is greater, and the pharmacy submits the covered balance to DPAP.

For someone with full Extra Help, Part D already handles most costs at deeply discounted copays. DPAP then serves as a backup for drugs outside your Part D formulary or for premium support.

For someone without Extra Help (income between 150% and 200% FPL, above the Extra Help threshold), DPAP becomes much more valuable as the primary cost-reducer after Part D's standard benefit.

How to Apply

DPAP applications go through two channels:

Online: Through the Delaware ASSIST portal at assist.dhss.delaware.gov — select "Medical Assistance" and the system screens for DPAP alongside other programs.

Paper: Download the DPAP application form from the DMMA Pharmacy Corner portal, or request one by phone. Submit by mail, fax, or in person at any DSS State Service Center.

You'll need proof of Delaware residency, age or disability status, income documentation (Social Security award letter, pension statements), and your Medicare card. If applying on behalf of a parent, submit a completed Authorized Representative Designation Form.

DPAP is managed by DMMA in coordination with Gainwell Technologies, the state's pharmacy fiscal agent. For DPAP help, call 1-844-245-9580 (TTY 711), Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

DPAP and the 2026 Part D Out-of-Pocket Cap

The Inflation Reduction Act capped Part D out-of-pocket costs at $2,100 for 2026. When DPAP pays toward eligible Part D-covered drug costs, that assistance counts toward TrOOP and can move a beneficiary toward the $0-cost-sharing zone above $2,100.

For someone on expensive specialty medications, DPAP's $3,000 annual benefit stacked with the $2,100 cap could mean true prescription costs drop to near zero for most of the year.

Our Delaware Medicare Savings Programs, Extra Help & DPAP Guide includes a DPAP coordination tracker that maps exactly how Part D, Extra Help, and DPAP interact at the pharmacy — plus the complete application checklist and benefit year calendar.

See more Delaware guides →