AHIP 2024 final exam | ACCURATE QUESTIONS AND DETAILED ANSWERS | GUARANTEED PASS |, Exams of Nursing

Download AHIP 2024 final exam | ACCURATE QUESTIONS AND DETAILED ANSWERS | GUARANTEED PASS | and more Exams Nursing in PDF only on Docsity! AHIP 2024 final exam | ACCURATE QUESTIONS AND DETAILED ANSWERS | GUARANTEED PASS | GRADED A | LATEST UPDATE 2024-2025 WITH 150+ QUESTIONS A client wants to give you an enrollment application on October 1 before the beginning of the Annual Election Period because he is leaving on vacation for two weeks and does not want to forget about turning it in. What should you tell him? - CORRECT ANS-You must tell him you are not permitted to take the form. If he sends the form directly to the plan, the plan will process the enrollment on the day the Annual Election Period begins. Mrs. Kumar would like her daughter, who lives in another state, to meet with you during the Annual Election Period to help her complete her enrollment in a Part D plan. She asked you when she should have her daughter plan to visit. What could you tell her? - CORRECT ANS-Her daughter should come in November. When Myra first became eligible for Medicare, she enrolled in Original Medicare (Parts A and B). She is now 67 and will turn 68 on July 1. She would now like to enroll in a Medicare Advantage (MA) plan and approaches you about her options. What advice would you give her? - CORRECT ANS-She should remain in Original Medicare until the annual election period running from October 15 to December 7, during which she can select an MA plan. Mr. Garrett has just entered his MA Initial Coverage Election Period (ICEP). What action could you help him take during this time? - CORRECT ANS-He will have one opportunity to enroll in a Medicare Advantage plan Mr. Roberts is enrolled in an MA plan. He recently suffered complications following hip replacement surgery. As a result, he has spent the last three months in Resthaven, a skilled nursing facility. Mr. Roberts is about to be discharged. What advice would you give him regarding his health coverage options? - CORRECT ANS-His open enrollment period as an institutionalized individual will continue for two months after the month he moves out of the facility. If a beneficiary is enrolled in a stand-alone prescription drug plan and wants to keep that plan, what type of Medicare health plan could the individual also enroll in, without being automatically disenrolled from the stand-alone prescription drug plan? - CORRECT ANS-The beneficiary could enroll in a private fee-for-service (PFFS) plan that does not include prescription drug coverage; a cost plan; or a Medicare Medical Savings Account (MSA) plan. Since 2004 Ms. Eisenberg has had a Medigap plan that provides some drug coverage. She has recently received a letter from her Medigap carrier informing her that her drug coverage is not "creditable." She wants to know what this means. What should you tell her? - CORRECT ANS-The letter is to inform her that the drug coverage offered through her Medigap plan does not offer drug coverage that is at least comparable to that provided under the Medicare Part D prescription drug program. If she does not have such creditable coverage during periods when she is first eligible for the Part D program, she will face a premium penalty if she enrolls in a Part D plan at a later date. Mr. Albert has heard about something called the Star Rating system for Medicare Advantage plans. He asks you to explain it to him since he is interested in enrolling in a plan that is newly available in his area. After you explain that it is the way for consumers to judge plan performance, what else would you say? - CORRECT ANS-New plans and Part D sponsors that do not have any Star Rating are not required to provide Star Rating information until the next contract year. Ms. Brooks has an aggressive cancer and would like to know if Medicare will cover hospice services in case she needs them. What should you tell her? - CORRECT ANS-Medicare covers hospice services and they will be available for her. Mr. Lee was intending to enroll in MaxCare's Medicare Advantage plan this year. However, due to his current medical condition, his daughter Debbie has been appointed as his legal representative over both health and financial matters. Debbie would like to ensure that her Mr. Singh would like drug coverage but does not want to be enrolled in a Medicare Advantage plan. What should you tell him? - CORRECT ANS-Mr. Singh can enroll in a stand-alone prescription drug plan and continue to be covered for Part A and Part B services through Original Fee-for-Service Medicare. Mrs. Chen will be 65 soon, has been a citizen for twelve years, has been employed full time, and paid taxes during that entire period. She is concerned that she will not qualify for coverage under part A because she was not born in the United States. What should you tell her? - CORRECT ANS-Most individuals who are citizens and age 65 or over are covered under Part A by virtue of having paid Medicare taxes while working, though some may be covered as a result of paying monthly premiums. Mrs. Quinn recently turned 66 and decided after many years of work to retire and begin receiving Social Security benefits. Shortly thereafter Mrs. Quinn received a letter informing her that she had been automatically enrolled in Medicare Part B. She wants to understand what this means. What should you tell Mrs. Quinn? - CORRECT ANS-Part B primarily covers physician services. She will be paying a monthly premium and, except for many preventive and screening tests, generally will have 20% co- payments for these services, in addition to an annual deductible. Mr. Patel is in good health and is preparing a budget in anticipation of his retirement when he turns 66. He wants to understand the health care costs he might be exposed to under Medicare if he were to require hospitalization because of an illness. In general terms, what could you tell him about his costs for inpatient hospital services under Original Medicare? - CORRECT ANS-Under Original Medicare, there is a single deductible amount due for the first 60 days of any inpatient hospital stay, after which it converts into a per-day coinsurance amount through day 90. After day 90, he would pay a daily amount up to 60 days over his lifetime, after which he would be responsible for all costs. What impact, if any, have recent regulatory changes had on Medigap plans? - CORRECT ANS-The Part B deductible is no longer covered for individuals newly eligible for Medicare starting January 1, 2020. Mrs. Paterson is concerned about the deductibles and co-payments associated with Original Medicare. What can you tell her about Medigap as an option to address this concern? - CORRECT ANS-Medigap plans do not cover Original Medicare benefits, but they coordinate with Original Medicare coverage. Mrs. Turner is comparing her employer's retiree insurance to Original Medicare and would like to know which of the following services Original Medicare will cover if the appropriate criteria are met. What could you tell her? - CORRECT ANS-Original Medicare covers ambulance services. Ms. Brooks has aggressive cancer and would like to know if Medicare will cover hospice services in case she needs them. What should you tell her? - CORRECT ANS-Medicare covers hospice services, and they will be available for her. Mr. Diaz continued working with his company and was insured under his employer's group plan until he reached age 68. He has heard that there is a premium penalty for those who did not sign up for Part B when first eligible and wants to know how much he will have to pay. What should you tell him? - CORRECT ANS-Mr. Diaz will not pay any penalty because he had continuous coverage under his employer's plan. Anita Magri will turn age 65 in August 2023. Anita intends to enroll in Original Medicare Part A and Part B. She would also like to enroll in a Medicare Supplement (Medigap) plan. Anita's older neighbor Mel has told her about the Medigap Plan F in which he is enrolled. It not only provides foreign travel emergency benefits but also covers his Medicare Part B deductible. Anita comes to you for advice. What should you tell her? - CORRECT ANS-You are sorry to disappoint Anita, but a Medigap F plan is no longer available to those who turn age 65 after January 1, 2020. Anita might instead consider other Medigap plans that offer foreign travel benefits but do not cover the Part B deductible. Hank's Fish Store, Inc. is a small company with just 15 employees located in Florida. Hank, the store owner, has provided excellent health benefits to the store's workforce. William, one of the store's long-time employees, will soon be reaching age 65 and eligible for Medicare. William is in good health. He intends to remain an active full-time employee, working several years after becoming eligible for Medicare. What type(s) of retiree health benefit will Hank's Fish Store be able to offer William? - CORRECT ANS-Hank's can continue to offer William the same employee health benefit plan, or, if William enrolls in Medicare Part B, it can enroll him in a Medicare Advantage plan that is offered to the public. Mr. Sanchez has just turned 65 and is entitled to Part A but has not enrolled in Part B because he has coverage through an employer plan. If he wants to enroll in a Medicare Advantage plan, what will he have to do? - CORRECT ANS-He will have to enroll in Part B. Mrs. Velasquez cares for her frail elderly mother, Maria, who lives in North Carolina. She is worried that without additional support, her mother will need to go into a nursing home. Mrs. Velasquez asks you if there is any Medicare plan that might allow her mother to remain in the community rather than going into a nursing home. How should you advise Mrs. Velasquez? - CORRECT ANS-There are Programs of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) for frail elderly beneficiaries certified as needing a nursing home level of care but are able to live safely in the community at the time of enrolment. Which of the following statement(s) is/are correct about a Medicare Savings Account (MSA) Plans? I. MSAs may have either a partial network, full network, or no network of providers. II. MSA plans cover Part A and Part B benefits but not Part D prescription drug benefits. III. An individual who is enrolled in an MSA plan is responsible for a minimal deductible of $500 indexed for inflation. IV. Non-network providers must accept the same amount that Original Medicare would pay them as payment in full. - CORRECT ANS-I, II, and IV only Mrs. Chi is age 75 and enjoys a comfortable but not extremely high-income level. She wishes to enroll in a MA MSA plan that she heard about from her neighbor. She also wants to have prescription drug coverage since her doctor recently prescribed several expensive medications. Currently, she is enrolled in Original Medicare and a standalone Part D plan. How would you advise Mrs. Chi? - CORRECT ANS-Mrs. Chi may enroll in a MA MSA plan and remain in her current standalone Part D prescription drug plan. Mrs. Chou likes a Private Fee-for-Service (PFFS) plan available in her area that does not include drug coverage. She wants to enroll in the plan and enroll in a stand-alone prescription drug plan. What should you tell her? - CORRECT ANS-She could enroll in a PFFS plan and a stand- alone Medicare prescription drug plan. Mr. Lopez has heard that he can sign up for a product called "Medicare Advantage" but is not sure about what type of plan designs are available through this program. What should you tell him about the types of health plans that are available through the Medicare Advantage program? - CORRECT ANS-There are Medicare health plans such as HMOs, PPOs, PFFS, and MSAs. Mr. Barker enjoys a comfortable retirement income. He recently had surgery and expected that he would have certain services and items covered by the plan with minimal out-of-pocket costs because his MA-PD coverage has been very good. However, when he received the bill, he was surprised to see large charges in excess of his maximum out-of-pocket limit that included some services and items he thought would be fully covered. He called you to ask what he could do? What could you tell him? - CORRECT ANS-You can offer to review the plans appeal process to help him ask the plan to review the coverage decision. Mrs. Walters is enrolled in her state's Medicaid program in addition to Medicare. What should she be aware of when considering enrollment in a Medicare Advantage (MA) plan? - CORRECT ANS-She cannot enroll in an MA Medical Savings Account (MSA) plan. Mr. Shapiro gets by on a very small amount of fixed income. He has heard there may be extra help paying for Part D prescription drugs for Medicare beneficiaries with limited income. He wants to know whether he might qualify. What should you tell him? - CORRECT ANS-The extra help is available to beneficiaries whose income and assets do not exceed annual limits specified by the government. Mrs. Allen has a rare condition for which two different brand name drugs are the only available treatment. She is concerned that since no generic prescription drug is available and these drugs are very high cost, she will not be able to find a Medicare Part D prescription drug plan that covers either one of them. What should you tell her? - CORRECT ANS-Medicare prescription drug plans are required to cover drugs in each therapeutic category. She should be able to enroll in a Medicare prescription drug plan that covers the medications she needs. Mr. Wingate is a newly enrolled Medicare Part D beneficiary and one of your clients. In addition to drugs on his plan's formulary, he takes several other medications. These include a prescription drug not on his plan's formulary, over-the-counter medications for colds and allergies, vitamins, and drugs from an Internet-based Canadian pharmacy to promote hair growth and reduce joint swelling. His neighbor recently told him about a concept called TrOOP and he asks you if any of his other medications could count toward TrOOP should he ever reach the Part D catastrophic limit. What should you say. - CORRECT ANS-None of the costs of Mr. Wingate's other medications would currently count toward TrOOP but he may wish to ask his plan for an exception to cover the prescription, not on its formulary. What types of tools can Medicare Part D prescription drug plans use that affect the way their enrollees can access medications? - CORRECT ANS-Part D plans do not have to cover all medications. As a result, their formularies, or lists of covered drugs, will vary from plan to plan. In addition, they can use cost containment techniques such as tiered co-payments and step therapy. Mrs. Mulcahy, age 65, is concerned that she may not qualify for enrollment in a Medicare prescription drug plan because, although she is entitled to Part A, she is not enrolled under Medicare Part B. What should you tell her? - CORRECT ANS-An individual who is entitled to Part A or enrolled under Part B is eligible to enroll in a Medicare prescription drug plan. As long as Mrs. Mulcahy is entitled to Part A, she does not need to enroll under Part B before enrolling in a prescription drug plan. Mr. Hutchinson has drug coverage through his former employer's retiree plan. He is concerned about the Part D premium penalty if he does not enroll in a Medicare prescription drug plan, but does not want to purchase extra coverage that he will not need. What should you tell him? - CORRECT ANS-If the drug coverage he has is not expected to pay, on average, at least as much as Medicare's standard Part D coverage expects to pay, then he will need to enroll in Medicare Part D during his initial eligibility period to avoid the late enrollment penalty. Mr. Jacob understands that there is a standard Medicare Part D prescription drug benefit, but when he looks at information on various plans available in his area, he sees a wide range in what they charge for deductibles, premiums, and cost sharing. How can you explain this to him? - CORRECT ANS-Medicare Part D drug plans may have different benefit structures, but on average, they must all be at least as good as the standard model established by the government. Who is most likely to benefit from the Medicare Prescription Payment Plan? - CORRECT ANS- Kevin, who suffered a heart attack at the beginning of the year requiring him to take an expensive brand name blood thinner on a daily, as well as an equally expensive injectable cholesterol medication on a bi-weekly basis for which he incurs high out-of-pocket costs. Mr. Rice is 68, actively working, and has coverage for medical services and medications through his employer's group health plan. He is entitled to premium free Part A and thinking of enrolling in Part B and switching to an MA-PD because he is paying a very large part of his group coverage premium, and it does not provide coverage for a number of his medications. Which of the following is NOT a consideration when making the change? - CORRECT ANS-Mr. Rice's retiree plan is required to take him back if, within 63 days of having voluntarily quit the employer's plan, he decides that he prefers it to his Medicare Part D plan. Mrs. Roswell is a new Medicare beneficiary who has just retired from retail work. She is interested in selecting a Medicare Part D prescription drug plan. She takes several medications and is concerned that she has not been able to identify a plan that covers all of her medications. She does not want to make an abrupt change to new drugs that would be covered and asks what she should do. What should you tell her? - CORRECT ANS-Every Part D drug plan is required to cover a single one-month fill of her existing medications sometime during a 90- day transition period. Mr. Bickford did not quite qualify for the extra help low-income subsidy under the Medicare Part D Prescription Drug program and he is wondering if there is any other option he has for obtaining help with his considerable drug costs. What should you tell him? - CORRECT ANS-He could check with the manufacturers of his medications to see if they offer an assistance program to help people with limited means to obtain the medications they need. Alternatively, he could check to see whether his state has a pharmacy assistance program to help him with his expenses. Mr. Carlini has heard that Medicare prescription drug plans are only offered through private companies under a program known as Medicare Advantage (MA), not by the government. He likes Original Medicare and does not want to sign up for an MA product, but he also wants prescription drug coverage. What should you tell him? - CORRECT ANS-Mr. Carlini can stay with One of your colleagues argues that it is better to focus your time and energy exclusively on neighborhoods with single-family homes. He further argues that their older owners are more likely to have higher incomes and purchase the Medicare Advantage products you represent compared to those living in apartment complexes. How should you respond? - CORRECT ANS- This could be considered discriminatory activity and a prohibited practice. Agent Jennings makes a presentation on Medicare advertised as an educational event. Agent Jennings distributes materials that are solely educational. However, she gives a brief presentation that mentions plan-specific premiums. Is this a prohibited activity at an event that has been advertised as educational? - CORRECT ANS-Yes. When an event has been advertised as "educational," discussing plan-specific premiums is impermissible. Mr. Prentice has many clients who are Medicare beneficiaries. He should review the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Communication and Marketing Guidelines to ensure he is compliant with which type of products. - CORRECT ANS-Medicare Advantage (MA) and Prescription Drug (PDP) plans. Next week you will be participating in your first "educational event" for prospective enrollees. To be sure that you do not violate any of the applicable guidelines, in what activities should you plan to engage? - CORRECT ANS-You should plan to ensure that the educational event is informative and must not conduct a sales presentation or distribute or accept enrollment forms at the event. You market many different types of insurance and ordinarily you spend time each evening calling potential clients. To comply with requirements for marketing Medicare Advantage and Part D plans, what must you do about contacting potential clients to market those plansl? - CORRECT ANS-You will have to avoid calling any potential client unless he or she initiates contact with you and specifically asks that you give him or her a call. If you are to comply with Medicare's guidance regarding educational events, which of the following would be acceptable activities? - CORRECT ANS-You may distribute business cards to individuals who request information on how to contact you for further details on the plan(s) you represent. By contacting plans available in your area, you have learned that the plan you represent has a significantly lower monthly premium than the others. Furthermore, you see that the plan you represent has a unique benefits package. What should you do to make sure your clients know about these pieces of information? - CORRECT ANS-You may make comparisons between plans if you can support them with studies or statistical data and such comparisons are factually based and referenced. You have set up an appointment for an in-home sales presentation with Mrs. Fernandez, who expressed interest in the Medicare plans you represent. In preparation for the sales presentation, what must you do? - CORRECT ANS-Before conducting the presentation, obtain and document having obtained her permission to visit, along with her interest in the specific products you will present. Winthrop Brokerage wishes to place an advertisement in the local newspaper that says: "We offer Medicare Advantage plans offered by AB Health and Top Choice Health. Contact us if you would like to learn more." Which of the following best describes the obligation(s) of Winthrop Brokerage regarding the advertisement? - CORRECT ANS-Winthrop Brokerage does not need to submit the advertisement to CMS for prior approval because it does not include information about the plans' benefits structures, cost-sharing, or information about measures or ranking standards. You are mailing invitations to new Medicare beneficiaries for a marketing event. You want an idea of how many people to expect, so you would like to request RSVPs. What should you keep in mind? - CORRECT ANS-You may request RSVPs, but you are not permitted to require contact information. Your colleague works at a third-party marketing organization (TMO) and she said she did not need to take the Medicare training for brokers and agents or pass a test to market Medicare plans since her contract is with the TMO, not the plans that have the products she sells. What could you say to her? - CORRECT ANS-You could tell her she is wrong, and that only agents selling employer/union group plans are permitted an exemption from testing, but some employer/union group plans may require testing to promote agent compliance with CMS marketing requirements. You are meeting with Mrs. Hall in her home. On her scope of appointment form, she asked to discuss Medicare Advantage plans. During the meeting, she asked to discuss a stand-alone prescription drug plan. She is leaving the next day to visit her family for a week in another state, so she needs to decide before she leaves. What must happen before that additional discussion can take place? - CORRECT ANS-Since Mrs. Hall specifically asked that you discuss the stand- alone Part D plan, you may do so, as long as she signs a new scope of appointment form first, indicating that she wants to discuss the Part D plan. You plan to participate in an educational event sponsored by a large regional health care system. One of your colleagues suggests that you do a presentation on one of the Medicare Health plans you market and modify it to include information about preventive screening tests showcased at the event. How should you respond to your colleague's suggestion? - CORRECT ANS-You should tell your colleague no, because marketing representatives are not permitted to participate, in any way, in an educational event. You will be holding a sales event soon, at which you would like to offer door prizes to attendees. Under guidelines from the Medicare agency, what types of gifts or prizes would not be allowed in this situation - CORRECT ANS-Gift cards or gift certificates of $15 or less that can be readily converted to cash. When you market Medicare Advantage and Part D plans, what may you offer as a gift to induce enrollment in a plan? - CORRECT ANS-You may provide gifts or prizes to all potential enrollees during an event that does not exceed $15 in retail value. You would like to market a MA plan at a neighborhood pharmacy. What should you keep in mind to comply with the marketing requirements for MA plans? - CORRECT ANS-You must set up your table, make marketing presentations, and accept enrollment applications only in common areas outside of where the patient waits for services from the pharmacist. Agent Harriet Walker has recently begun marketing Medicare Advantage and related products aimed at meeting the needs of senior citizens. Client Mildred Jones has expressed interest in a Medicare Advantage plan. It is now the beginning of September. If you were in Agent Walker's position, what would you do? - CORRECT ANS-Inquire whether the client qualifies for a special enrollment period, and if not, solicit an enrollment application once the annual open enrollment election period begins on October 15th. Mr. Wendt suffers from diabetes which has gotten progressively worse during the last year. He is currently enrolled in Original Medicare (Parts A and B) and a Part D prescription drug plan and did not enroll in a Medicare Advantage (MA) plan during the last annual open enrollment period (AEP) which has just closed. Mr. Wendt has heard certain MA plans might provide him with more specialized coverage for his diabetes and wants to know if he must wait until the next annual open enrollment period (AEP) before enrolling in such a plan. What should you tell him? - CORRECT ANS-If there is a special needs plan (SNP) in Mr. Wendt's area that specializes in caring for individuals with diabetes, he may enroll in the SNP at any time under a special election period (SEP). Mr. Yoo's employer has recently dropped comprehensive creditable prescription drug coverage that was offered to company retirees. The company told Mr. Yoo that, because he was affected by this change, he would qualify for a special election period. Mr. Yoo contacted you to find out more about what this means. What can you tell him? - CORRECT ANS-It means that he qualifies for a one-time opportunity to enroll in an MA-PD or Part D prescription drug plan. Ms. Claggett is sixty-six (66) years old. She has been covered under Original Medicare for the last six years due to her disability and has never been enrolled in a Medicare Advantage or a Part D plan before. She wants to enroll in a Part D plan. She knows that there is such a thing as the "Part D Initial Enrollment Period" (IEP) and has concluded that, since she has never enrolled in such a plan before, she should be eligible to enroll under this period. What should you tell her about how the Part D Initial Enrollment Period applies to her situation? - CORRECT ANS-Ms. Claggett has had two IEPs and missed them both. The first occurred three months before and three months after the month when she was first entitled to Part A OR enrolled in Part B. Because she was eligible for Medicare before age 65, Ms. Claggett had a second IEP based on turning age 65, which has also expired. Ms. Thomas has worked for many years and is turning 68 in June. She is eligible for Medicare Part A and did not enroll for Part B when first eligible because she has insurance through her employer - Coffee Brew, Inc. She also did not enroll in Part D because she had creditable coverage. She would like to retire in June and enroll in a Medicare Advantage plan. She has been informed that her group coverage will end on her retirement effective date. How would you advise Ms. Thomas? - CORRECT ANS-Ms. Thomas can enroll in Part B without a late penalty at any time she is still covered by her employer group and 8 months after her last month of employer group coverage without a penalty. However, because she wants to enroll in a MA plan after retirement, she should make sure her Part B coverage is effective in time to use the Medicare Advantage/Part D special election period for individuals changing from employer group coverage to enroll in a MA plan or MA-PD. The SEP begins while she has employer group coverage and will last until 2 months after the month after the month her employer coverage ends. If she wants Part D coverage she should enroll in an MA-PD or a PDP (depending on how she decides to receive her Part A and B benefits) during this time. Mr. Garcia was told he qualifies for a special election period (SEP), but he lost the paper that explains what he could do during the SEP. What can you tell him? - CORRECT ANS-If the SEP is for MA coverage, he will generally have one opportunity to change his MA coverage. Mrs. Schmidt is moving and a friend told her she might qualify for a "special election period" to enroll in a new Medicare Advantage plan. She contacted you to ask what a special election period is. What could you tell her? - CORRECT ANS-It is a period, outside of the Annual Election Period, when a Medicare beneficiary can select a new or different Medicare Advantage and/or Part D prescription drug plan. Typically, the special election period is beneficiary specific and results from events, such as when the beneficiary moves outside of the service area. Mrs. Kendrick is in good health, has worked for many years, and is six months away from turning 65. She wants to know what she will have to do to enroll in a Medicare Advantage (MA) plan as soon as possible. What could you tell her? - CORRECT ANS-She may enroll in an MA plan beginning three months immediately before her first entitlement to both Medicare Part A and Part B. Which of the following individuals has enrolled in a plan based on a fixed enrollment period? - CORRECT ANS-Ben enrolls in a Medicare Advantage plan during the Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period (MA OEP). Mrs. Ridgeway enrolled in Original Medicare and Medigap coverage following her retirement several years ago. Four months ago, Mrs. Ridgeway dropped her Medigap policy to enroll in a Medicare Advantage (MA) plan for the first time. Unfortunately, Mrs. Ridgeway has found that many of her providers are not in the MA plan's network. She has come to you for advice. What should you tell her? - CORRECT ANS-She qualifies for a special election period (SEP) that will allow her to make a one-time election to return to Original Medicare and she also has a guaranteed eligibility period to rejoin her Medigap plan. Mrs. Young is currently enrolled in Original Medicare (Parts A and B), but she has been working with Agent Neil Adams in the selection of a Medicare Advantage (MA) plan. It is mid- September, and Mrs. Young is going on vacation. Agent Adams is considering suggesting that he and Mrs. Young complete the application together before she leaves. He will then submit the paper application before the start of the annual enrollment period (AEP). What would you say If you were advising Agent Adams? - CORRECT ANS-This is a bad idea. Agents are generally prohibited from soliciting or accepting an enrollment form before the start of the AEP. Richard is a licensed agent who represents Spartan Health Plan and its Medicare Advantage (MA) plans. Richard has several clients who have recently come to him for help who are in their initial coverage election period (ICEP) and are interested in enrolling in one of Spartan Health Plan's MA plans. Alice will soon turn 65 and retire. Alice has coverage through Spartan Health Plan offered by her employer. Bob had health coverage through Spartan but dropped the coverage when he retired early to travel overseas. Bob, who has just turned age 65, is now back in the United States. Charlotte, who will turn 65 next month, has coverage through Athena Health plan - a company Richard also represents. Who qualifies for the opt-in simplified enrollment mechanism? - CORRECT ANS-Alice and Charlotte because each of them currently have health coverage and is in their initial coverage election period (ICEP). Alice is enrolled in a MA-PD plan. She makes a permanent move across the country and wonders what her options are for continuing MA-PD coverage. What would you say to her in regard to a special enrollment period (SEP)? - CORRECT ANS-She is likely to qualify for a SEP. She can choose an effective date of up to three months after the month in which the enrollment form is received by the new plan, but the effective date may not be earlier than the date of her permanent move. Ms. Morris will turn 65 on June 10th. She has never previously qualified for Medicare. She is entitled to Medicare Part A and intends to enroll in Part B. She wants to know if she is eligible to enroll in a Medicare Advantage plan that includes prescription drug coverage. What do you tell her? - CORRECT ANS-Ms. Morris can enroll in an MA-PD plan now since her initial election period (IEP) for Part D prescription drug coverage and initial coverage period are occurring together beginning March 1st and ending September 30th. Mr. Lopez, who is fairly well-off financially, would like to enroll in a Medicare prescription drug plan you represent and simply give you a check to cover his premiums for the entire year. What should you tell him? - CORRECT ANS-Enrollees should pay using automatic withdrawal from a identification card and the doctor agrees to accept the PFFS plan's payment terms and conditions, which could include balance billing. Mr. Kelly wants to know whether he is eligible to sign up for a Private fee-for-service (PFFS) plan. What questions would you need to ask to determine his eligibility? - CORRECT ANS-You would need to ask Mr. Kelly if he is enrolled in Part A and Part B and if he lives in the PFFS plan's service area. Mrs. Wang wants to know generally how the benefits under Original Medicare might compare to the benefits package of a Medicare Advantage Plan before she starts looking at specific plans. What could you tell her? - CORRECT ANS-Medicare Advantage Plans may offer extra benefits that Original Medicare does not offer such as vision, hearing, and dental services. It must include a maximum out-of-pocket limit on Part A and Part B services. Mr. Castillo, a naturalized citizen, previously enrolled in Medicare Part B but has recently stopped paying his Part B premium. Mr. Castillo is still covered by Part A. He would like to enroll in a Medicare Advantage (MA) plan and is still covered by Part A. What should you tell him? - CORRECT ANS-He is not eligible to enroll in a Medicare Advantage plan until he re-enrolls in Medicare Part B. Mr. Barker enjoys a comfortable retirement income. He recently had surgery and expected that he would have certain services and items covered by the plan with minimal out-of-pocket costs because his MA-PD coverage has been very good. However, when he received the bill, he was surprised to see large charges in excess of his maximum out-of-pocket limit that included some services and items he thought would be fully covered. He called you to ask what he could do? What could you tell him? - CORRECT ANS-You can offer to review the plans appeal process to help him ask the plan to review the coverage decision. Mrs. Chi is age 75 and enjoys a comfortable but not extremely high-income level. She wishes to enroll in a MA MSA plan that she heard about from her neighbor. She also wants to have prescription drug coverage since her doctor recently prescribed several expensive medications. Currently, she is enrolled in Original Medicare and a standalone Part D plan. How would you advise Mrs. Chi? - CORRECT ANS-Mrs. Chi may enroll in a MA MSA plan and remain in her current standalone Part D prescription drug plan. Mrs. Ramos is considering a Medicare Advantage PPO and has questions about which providers she can go to for her health care. What should you tell her? - CORRECT ANS-Mrs. Ramos can obtain care from any provider who participates in Original Medicare, but generally will have a higher cost-sharing amount if she sees a provider who/that is not a part of the PPO network. Mr. Wells is trying to understand the difference between Original Medicare and Medicare Advantage. What would be a correct description? - CORRECT ANS-Medicare Advantage is a way of covering all the Original Medicare benefits through private health insurance companies. Juan Hernandez is turning 65 next month, Juan legally entered the United States over twenty years ago but is not a citizen. Since his entry into the country, Juan has worked at Smallcap Incorporated and contributed to the Medicare system. Juan suffers from diabetes. He will soon retire and asks you if he can enroll in a Medicare Advantage plan that you represent. How would you respond? - CORRECT ANS-Juan is eligible to enroll in a Medicare Advantage as long as he is entitled to Part A and enrolled in Part B. Juan should go to the Social Security website to enroll in Medicare Part A and B if he has not done so already. Once he is enrolled, he can choose a Medicare Advantage plan. Mr. Hutchinson has drug coverage through his former employer's retiree plan. He is concerned about the Part D premium penalty if he does not enroll in a Medicare prescription drug plan, but does not want to purchase extra coverage that he will not need. What should you tell him? - CORRECT ANS-He will need to enroll in a Medicare prescription drug plan upon becoming eligible for the program in order to avoid a premium penalty. To reduce his expenses, he should look for a plan with a zero premium. Mr. Schultz was still working when he first qualified for Medicare. At that time, he had employer group coverage that was creditable. During his initial Part D eligibility period, he decided not to enroll because he was satisfied with his drug coverage. It is now a year later and Mr. Schultz has lost his employer group coverage within the last two weeks. How would you advise him? - CORRECT ANS-Mr. Schultz should enroll in a Part D plan before he has a 63-day break in coverage in order to avoid a premium penalty. Mrs. Fields wants to know whether applying for the Part D low income subsidy will be worth the time to fill out the paperwork. What could you tell her? - CORRECT ANS-The Part D low income subsidy could substantially lower her overall costs. She can apply by contacting her state Medicaid office, or calling the Social Security Administration. Mrs. Quinn has just turned 65, is in excellent health and has a relatively high income. She uses no medications and sees no reason to spend money on a Medicare prescription drug plan if she does not need the coverage. She currently does not have creditable coverage. What could you tell her about the implications of such a decision? - CORRECT ANS-If she does not sign up for a Medicare prescription drug plan as soon as she is eligible to do so, if she does sign up at a later date, her premium will be permanently increased by 1% of the national average premium for every month that she was not covered. Mrs. Imelda Diaz is a Medicare beneficiary enrolled in a MA-PD plan you represent. Her neighbor recently suffered from a painful case of shingles. Mrs. Diaz hopes to avoid such an illness through vaccination. She asks you whether the cost of shingles vaccination will be covered under the plan you represent. What should you say? - CORRECT ANS-Yes, there is no cost sharing for the shingles vaccine even in the deductible phase of her prescription drug plan because it is an adult vaccine recommended by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (AICP). Mrs. Walters is entitled to Part A and has medical coverage without drug coverage through an employer retiree plan. She is not enrolled in Part B. Since the employer plan does not cover prescription drugs, she wants to enroll in a Medicare prescription drug plan. Will she be able to? - CORRECT ANS-Yes. Mrs. Walters must be entitled to Part A or enrolled in Part B to be eligible for coverage under the Medicare prescription drug program. Mr. Shapiro gets by on a very small amount of fixed income. He has heard there may be extra help paying for Part D prescription drugs for Medicare beneficiaries with limited income. He wants to know whether he might qualify. What should you tell him? - CORRECT ANS-The extra help is available to beneficiaries whose income and assets do not exceed annual limits specified by the government. Which of the following statements about Medicare Part D are correct? - CORRECT ANS-I, II, and III only -I. Part D plans must enroll any eligible beneficiary who applies regardless of health status except in limited circumstances. II. Private fee-for-service (PFFS) plans are not required to use a pharmacy network but may choose to have one.