Yes, unless they are for a controlled substance or are for drugs not approved by the FDA, or if you buy them in very large quantities, which may trigger customs enforcement because there's a suspicion you would be reselling them. I assume yours don't fall into these categories. You should be careful to buy from a licensed pharmacy that allows you access to a registered pharmacist in case you have questions. There is a known problem with counterfeits drugs sometimes being sold online, so you do need to be careful.

It is confusing, Mare...and that's what got me into trouble in the first place. Let me see if I can explain my particular issue to further clarify why I'm being charged a penalty. When my husband died a few years ago, all my benefits died with him due to an agreement he had made with the PBA long before he even knew me. His decision, unfortunately, was irreversible. Throughout our married life...all contact involving his benefits package had to be made by him even though I was covered under all his plans, therefor I was often left in the dark about what the plan included and who the carriers were. I was already enrolled in Medicare when he passed and knew that I would have to replace the supplemental policy he'd had for me with BC/BS. I did so immediately. What I didn't know was that I had to replace the Medicare D policy. I had never needed it and had no idea what it was let alone the fact that it existed as part of his benefits package. To make matters worse, the PBA didn't notify me that I had to replace this coverage with a policy of my own choosing. I went for almost 4 years without realizing that I was in default with Medicare. Fortunately, it was brought to my attention and I applied for a policy but in so doing, I learned that I was going to be penalized for the time that had lapsed between the loss of my husband's coverage for me and my "awakening". The penalty is based on a formula...1% of the policy monthly premium...times the number of months that one goes without coverage. It was a substantial amount to me and I had limited recourse. I contacted Medicare and filed a challenge. They agreed that I had a basis for my challenge. They reduced the penalty by 12 months...but said ignorance of the law was no excuse and I was left responsible for the remaining month's penalty. The penalty is NEVER removed. From now until the day I die...I will have that penalty added to whatever Medicare Part D plan I carry. My only hope to be relieved of this burden is that two US high courts agree with me...that the penalty, along with the Federal edict to force people to carry health insurance above and beyond Medicare...is illegal. If the Supreme Court agrees with the two lower courts, the entire forced insurance system will be reversed and my penalty will be dropped. Needless to say, I'm anxiously awaiting their decision. I hope this gives you a little more info. If you are already enrolled in Medicare, the booklet that they send out every year will give you more information. Or, you can call their office. I've found them to be very helpful...even thought I don't always agree with them. As long as you get Medicare Part D coverage as soon as you're eligible, you shouldn't have to worry about a penalty...unless somewhere along the line you decide to drop the coverage...and then pick it up again at some later date. You'd be penalized for the lapsed coverage time. HTH Anne

"I am prohibited from using Medicare" Maybe it's not what you have, salti, but many subsidized or provided retiree medical plans are Medicare Advantage plans and indeed have an unseen substantial Medicare paid-for component to cover provider charges. A Medicare Advantage plan is one where the private medical insurance administers Medicare benefits on behalf of Medicare itself and sends them the bill for payments to doctors, hospitals, and other providers. Medicare Advantage plans can be far more generous than straight Medicare or Medicare plus one of the standard supplements and other than which system pays what portion of a charge (Medicare or the private insurance) invisibly in the background, the covered individual would never know they have anything other than coverage from the insurance company they deal with. I have an employer provided Medicare Advantage plan and I too am "prohibited" from using Medicare directly. But it's there all the same and invisible to me but for one provision - I am required to go to providers that accept Medicare. But there's no in-network/out of network benefit difference for any health related service or goods. Not actually prohibited but I can be on the hook for some charges. For some non-Medicare accepting providers, I pay a deductible/co-pay and the provider gets what would have been the Medicare reimbursement if they accepted that in full

You are required to have a Part D plan if you have Medicare. You will be penalized later if you haven't signed up for Part D coverage when you are eligible for it. If you have few meds or very inexpensive ones, take the plan with the cheapest premium. DH often goes a whole year without using half of a plan's scary-big 'deductible' (over $400 in recent years, and most plans have them). ALWAYS search the Part D plan offerings for the coming year, and check with the insurer to be certain the information on the Medicare.gov site is correct -- regarding the premium and the cost of each drug. "Mistakes are made," early on as the companies are submitting their information to Medicare. Other nations control the price of prescription medications without this nonsense of Part D insurance. They only people who benefit from the US system are the insurers and the pharmaceutical companies. Ours is also the only nation to permit advertising of prescription drugs. (Not certain if New Zealand still does this, but they were the only other one.) I have yet to find mail order to be less expensive than a local pharmacy by more than a few dollars.