Esomeprazole (Nexium) — 2026 Medicare Part D coverage
esomeprazole — sold as Nexium: 14 forms appear in Medicare Part D formularies for 2026. This page reports what plans filed with CMS; it does not recommend a plan.
Which plans in your county cover esomeprazole?
Pick a county to see every Medicare Advantage plan filed there and every stand-alone Part D plan in its region, with this drug's tier, restrictions and tier cost sharing.
How to read drug coverage
Tier is the cost-sharing tier the plan assigned the drug in its CMS formulary filing; lower tiers usually cost less. PA = prior authorization, ST = step therapy (try another drug first), QL = quantity limit. Not on formulary means the plan did not list this exact form; the plan may cover another strength or a formulary exception may be possible. Cost sharing is the plan's initial-coverage amount for the tier as filed with CMS; the deductible, the $2,100 annual out-of-pocket cap, the $35 insulin cap and negotiated prices for selected drugs can change what you actually pay. Formularies change during the year; the plan's formulary document and Medicare.gov govern.
What the star rating under each Medicare Advantage plan means
What the star rating means. CMS rates every Medicare Advantage contract (the "H" number in the plan ID — all plans under it share the rating) on a 1-to-5 scale each October, from about 40 measures of care quality, member experience, complaints and appeals, customer service and, for plans with drug coverage, drug safety and pricing. The 2026 rating is largely based on performance measured in 2024.
5 Excellent4 Above average3 Average2 Below average1 Poor
Not rated means CMS published no overall rating — usually a contract too new to be measured or with too few members ("not enough data"); it is not a low score. A 5-star contract can be joined outside the normal enrollment windows (the 5-star Special Enrollment Period, Dec 8 – Nov 30). Medicare.gov flags contracts rated below 3 stars for three years running as low-performing. Stars describe the contract's past performance as CMS measured it; they are not a recommendation, and they do not tell you whether a plan's network, drugs or costs fit you.
Forms and strengths in 2026 formularies
| Form | Formularies listing it | Most common tier | PA | ST | QL |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| esomeprazole magnesium 20 MG Delayed Release Oral Capsule generic · RxCUI 606726 | 308 (94%) | 2 | 0 | 52 | 208 |
| esomeprazole magnesium 40 MG Delayed Release Oral Capsule generic · RxCUI 606730 | 308 (94%) | 2 | 0 | 52 | 211 |
| esomeprazole 10 MG Granules for Delayed Release Oral Suspension generic · RxCUI 861568 | 79 (24%) | 4 | 0 | 49 | 66 |
| esomeprazole 20 MG Granules for Delayed Release Oral Suspension generic · RxCUI 692576 | 79 (24%) | 4 | 0 | 49 | 66 |
| esomeprazole 40 MG Granules for Delayed Release Oral Suspension generic · RxCUI 692578 | 79 (24%) | 4 | 0 | 49 | 72 |
| esomeprazole 2.5 MG Granules for Delayed Release Oral Suspension generic · RxCUI 1297658 | 9 (3%) | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| esomeprazole 5 MG Granules for Delayed Release Oral Suspension generic · RxCUI 1297761 | 9 (3%) | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| NexIUM 10 MG Granules for Delayed Release Oral Suspension brand · RxCUI 861570 | 1 (0%) | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| NexIUM 2.5 MG Granules for Delayed Release Oral Suspension brand · RxCUI 1297660 | 1 (0%) | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| NexIUM 20 MG Delayed Release Oral Capsule brand · RxCUI 606728 | 1 (0%) | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| NexIUM 20 MG Granules for Delayed Release Oral Suspension brand · RxCUI 861576 | 1 (0%) | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| NexIUM 40 MG Delayed Release Oral Capsule brand · RxCUI 606731 | 1 (0%) | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| NexIUM 40 MG Granules for Delayed Release Oral Suspension brand · RxCUI 861583 | 1 (0%) | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| NexIUM 5 MG Granules for Delayed Release Oral Suspension brand · RxCUI 1297763 | 1 (0%) | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
Counts are formularies (of 328) in the CMS file that list the form, and how many of those apply prior authorization (PA), step therapy (ST) or a quantity limit (QL). Many plans share one formulary, so plan counts in a county will differ.
How to read drug coverage
Tier is the cost-sharing tier the plan assigned the drug in its CMS formulary filing; lower tiers usually cost less. PA = prior authorization, ST = step therapy (try another drug first), QL = quantity limit. Not on formulary means the plan did not list this exact form; the plan may cover another strength or a formulary exception may be possible. Cost sharing is the plan's initial-coverage amount for the tier as filed with CMS; the deductible, the $2,100 annual out-of-pocket cap, the $35 insulin cap and negotiated prices for selected drugs can change what you actually pay. Formularies change during the year; the plan's formulary document and Medicare.gov govern.
What the star rating under each Medicare Advantage plan means
What the star rating means. CMS rates every Medicare Advantage contract (the "H" number in the plan ID — all plans under it share the rating) on a 1-to-5 scale each October, from about 40 measures of care quality, member experience, complaints and appeals, customer service and, for plans with drug coverage, drug safety and pricing. The 2026 rating is largely based on performance measured in 2024.
5 Excellent4 Above average3 Average2 Below average1 Poor
Not rated means CMS published no overall rating — usually a contract too new to be measured or with too few members ("not enough data"); it is not a low score. A 5-star contract can be joined outside the normal enrollment windows (the 5-star Special Enrollment Period, Dec 8 – Nov 30). Medicare.gov flags contracts rated below 3 stars for three years running as low-performing. Stars describe the contract's past performance as CMS measured it; they are not a recommendation, and they do not tell you whether a plan's network, drugs or costs fit you.