Understanding Medicare Advantage and Part D Plans, Exams of Nursing

Download Understanding Medicare Advantage and Part D Plans and more Exams Nursing in PDF only on Docsity! AHIP Final Exam Tested High-Quality Questions with Expert Answers Questions from Premier Institutions Mrs. Davenport enrolled in the ABC Medicare Advantage (MA) plan several years ago. In mid- February of 2021, her doctor confirms a diagnosis of end-stage renal disease (ESRD). What options will Mrs. Davenport have regarding her MA plan during the next open enrollment season? - -correct ans- -She may remain in her ABC MA plan, enroll in another MA plan in her service area, or enroll in a Special Needs Plan (SNP) for individuals suffering from ESRD if one is available in her area. Mr. Kumar is considering a Medicare Advantage HMO and has questions about his ability to access providers. What should you tell him? - -correct ans- -In most Medicare Advantage HMOs, Mr. Kumar must generally obtain his services only from providers within the plan's network (except in an emergency or where care is unavailable within the network). 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. Mr. Sinclair has diabetes and heart trouble and is generally satisfied with the care he has received under Original Medicare, but he would like to know more about Medicare Advantage Special Needs Plans (SNPs). What could you tell him? - -correct ans- -SNPs have special programs for enrollees with chronic conditions, like Mr. Sinclair, and they provide prescription drug coverage that could be very helpful as well. 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- -They are Medicare health plans such as HMOs, PPOs, PFFS, and MSAs. 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. Mr. Zachow has a condition for which three drugs are available. He has tried two but had an allergic reaction to them. Only the third drug works for him and it is not on his Part D plan's formulary. What could you tell him to do? - -correct ans- -Mr. Zachow has a right to request a formulary exception to obtain coverage for his Part D drug. He or his physician could obtain the standardized request form on the plan's website, fill it out, and submit it to his plan. 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. and Mrs. Vaughn both take a specialized multivitamin prescription each day. Mr. Vaughn takes a prescription for helping to regrow his hair. They are anxious to have their Medicare prescription drug plan cover these drug needs. What should you tell them? - -correct ans- - Medicare prescription drug plans are not permitted to cover the prescription medications the Vaughns are interested in under Part D coverage, however, plans may cover them as supplemental benefits and the Vaughn's could look into that possibility. 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. 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. Mrs. McIntire is enrolled in her state's Medicaid plan and has just become eligible for Medicare as well. What can she expect will happen to her drug coverage? - -correct ans- -Unless she chooses a Medicare Part D prescription drug plan on her own, she will be automatically enrolled in one available in her area. Mrs. Berkowitz wants to enroll in a Medicare Advantage plan that does not include drug coverage and also enroll in a stand-alone Medicare prescription drug plan. Under what circumstances can she do this? - -correct ans- -If the Medicare Advantage plan is a Private Fee- for-Service (PFFS) plan that does not offer drug coverage or a Medical Savings Account plan, Mrs. Berkowitz can do this. Which of the following statements about Medicare Part D are correct? 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. III. Beneficiaries enrolled in a MA-Medical Savings Account (MSA) plan may only obtain Part D benefits through a standalone PDP. IV. Beneficiaries enrolled in a MA-PPO may obtain Part D benefits through a standalone PDP or through their plan. - -correct ans- -I, II, and III only Mr. Torres has a small savings account. He would like to pay for his monthly Part D premiums with an automatic monthly withdrawal from his savings account until it is exhausted, and then have his premiums withheld from his Social Security check. What should you tell him? - -correct ans- -In general, he must select a single Part D premium payment mechanism that will be used throughout the year. 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. Another agent working for your agency claims that because you are not employed by the Medicare Advantage plans that you represent, you are not subject to the same marketing requirements as the plans themselves. How should you respond to such a statement? - -correct ans- -Your coworker is not correct. Marketing on behalf of a plan is considered marketing by the plan and requires that all contracted and employed agents comply with all Medicare marketing rules. Mrs. Lu is turning 65 in November and called to ask for your help deciding on a Medicare Advantage plan. She agreed to sign a scope of appointment form and meet with you on October 15. During the appointment, what are you permitted to do? - -correct ans- -You may provide her with the required enrollment materials and take her completed enrollment application. One of your colleagues argues that it is better to focus your time and energy exclusively in 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. A Medicare beneficiary has walked into your office and requested that you sit down with her and discuss her options under the Medicare Advantage program. Before engaging in such a discussion, what should you do? - -correct ans- -You must have her sign a scope of appointment form, indicating which products she wishes to discuss. You may then proceed with the discussion. Your friend's mother just moved to an assisted living facility and he asked if you could present a program for the residents about the MA-PD plans you market. What could you tell him? - - correct ans- -You appreciate the opportunity and would be happy to schedule an appointment with anyone at their request. Melissa Meadows is a marketing representative for Best Care which has recently introduced a Medicare Advantage plan offering comprehensive dental benefits for $15 per month. Best Care has not submitted any potential posts to CMS for approval. Melissa would like to use the power of social media to reach potential prospects. What advice would you give her? - -correct ans- -As soon as CMS approves Best Care's social media posts, Agent Meadows could post a tweet stating that "Best Care offers an array of Medicare Advantage benefit packages. One might be right for you. Call me to find out more!" 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. Agent Martinez wishes to solicit Medicare Advantage prospects through e-mail and asks you for advice as to whether this is possible. What should you tell her? - -correct ans- -Marketing representatives may initiate electronic contact through e-mail but an opt-out process must be provided. Miguel Sanchez is a relatively new agent who has come to you for advice as to what he can do during the Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period (MA-OEP). What advice should you give Miguel? - -correct ans- -During the MA-OEP, Miguel can have one-on-one meetings with beneficiaries who have requested such meetings. ABC is a Medicare Advantage (MA) plan sponsor. It would like to use its enrollees' information to market non-health related products such as life insurance and annuities. Which statement best describes ABC's obligation to its enrollees regarding marketing such products? - -correct ans- -It must obtain a HIPAA complaint authorization from an enrollee that indicates the plan or plan sponsor may use their information for marketing purposes. Mr. Block is currently enrolled in a Medicare Advantage plan that includes drug coverage. He found a stand-alone Medicare prescription drug plan in his area that offers better coverage than that available through his MA-PD plan and in addition, has a low premium. It won't cost him much more and, because he has the means to do so, he wishes to enroll in the stand-alone prescription drug plan in addition to his MA-PD plan. What should you tell him? - -correct ans- -If Mr. Block enrolls in the stand-alone Medicare prescription drug plan, he will be disenrolled from the Medicare Advantage plan. Mrs. Reeves is newly eligible to enroll in a Medicare Advantage plan and her MA Initial Coverage Election Period (ICEP) has just begun. Which of the following can she not do during the ICEP? - - correct ans- -She can enroll in a Medigap plan to supplement the benefits of the MA plan that she's also enrolling in. Mr. Johannsen is entitled to Medicare Part A and Part B. He gains the Part D low-income subsidy. How does that affect his ability to enroll or disenroll in a Part D plan? - -correct ans- -He qualifies for a special election period and can enroll in or disenroll from a Part D plan once during that period. 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. 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. Margolis contacts you in August because she will become eligible for Medicare for the first time in November. She would like to meet and discuss plan choices with you. What advice should you give her? - -correct ans- -Tell her to wait until October to discuss plan choices with you so that you can share plan benefits for the current year as well as any changes for the following year that may impact her choice. Mr. Chen is enrolled in his employer's group health plan and will be retiring soon. He would like to know his options since he has decided to drop his retiree coverage and is eligible for Medicare. What should you tell him? - -correct ans- -Mr. Chen can disenroll from his employer-sponsored coverage to elect a Medicare Advantage or Part D plan within 2 months of his disenrollment. 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. 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. Mr. White has Medicare Parts A and B with a Part D plan. Last year, he received a notice that his plan sponsor identified him as a "potential at-risk" beneficiary. This month, he started receiving assistance from Medicaid. He wants to find a different Part D plan that's more suitable to his current prescription drug needs. He believes he's entitled to a SEP since he is now a dual eligible. Is he able to change to a different Part D plan during a SEP for dual eligible individuals? - -correct ans- -No. Once he is identified by the plan sponsor as a "potential at-risk" beneficiary, he cannot use the dual eligible SEP to change plans while this designation is in place. Mr. Ziegler is turning 65 next month and has asked you what he can do, and when he must do it, with respect to enrolling in Part D. What could you tell him? - -correct ans- -He is currently in the Part D Initial Enrollment Period (IEP) and, during this time, he may make one Part D enrollment choice, including enrollment in a stand-alone Part D plan or an MA-PD plan. 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. 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. You are meeting with Ms. Berlin and she has completed an enrollment form for a MA-PD plan you represent. You notice that her handwriting is illegible and as a result, the spelling of her street looks incorrect. She asks you to fill in the corrected street name. What should you do? - - correct ans- -You may correct this information as long as you add your initials and date next to the correction. You have come to Mrs. Midler's home for a sales presentation. At the beginning of the presentation, Mrs. Midler tells you that she has a copy of her medical records available because she thinks this will help you understand her needs. She suggests that you will know which questions to ask her about her health status in order to best assist her in selecting a plan. What should you do? - -correct ans- -You can only ask Mrs. Midler questions about conditions that affect eligibility, specifically, whether she has one of the conditions that would qualify her for a special needs plan. Mr. and Mrs. Nunez attended one of your sales presentations. They've asked you to come to their home to clear up a few questions. During the presentation, Mrs. Nunez feels tired and tells you that her husband can finish things up. She goes to bed. At the end of your discussion, Mr. Nunez says that he wants to enroll both himself and his wife. What should you do? - -correct ans- -As long as she can do so, only Mrs. Nunez can sign her enrollment form. Mrs. Nunez will have to wake up to sign her form or do so at another time. 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. do not receive federal funding or administered under Title I of the ACA, such as life insurance, do not fall under the scope of 1557. Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act applies to - -correct ans- -all health programs and activities administered by or receiving federal financial assistance from HHS Under Section 1557, 2020 Final Rule issued during the Trump Administration sex was initially defined____________ - -correct ans- -as biologic sex only, meaning whether a person was determined to be male or female at birth. Which of the following would be considered permissible under Section 1557 and the 2020 Final Rule? - -correct ans- -Broker Mary Jones has recruited a diverse workforce. She encourages her agents to prospect through community-based marketing and within their community of influence. Auxiliary aids and services must be provided to individuals with disabilities, such as those suffering from vision or hearing impairments, free of charge, and in a timely manner. Auxiliary aids and services include which of the following: I. large print materials II. qualified sign language interpreters III. braille materials and displays IV. screen reader software - -correct ans- -I, II, III, and IV Which entity enforces Section 1557 for programs that receive funding from on are administered by HHS? - -correct ans- -The Office of Civil Rights (OCR) of HHS. Which of these actions is most likely to be permitted in dealing with a person with limited English proficiency? - -correct ans- -Allowing a child to interpret in an emergency. Under ACA Section 1557, a health plan - -correct ans- -cannot deny coverage to LEP individuals and is required to provide language assistance to them, free of charge. For a health plan, what are the possible consequences of violations of ACA Section 1557? - - correct ans- -Loss of federal business and compensatory damages. Which of the following is NOT potentially a penalty for violation of a law or regulation prohibiting fraud, waste, and abuse (FWA)? - -correct ans- -Deportation Which of the following requires intent to obtain payment and the knowledge the actions are wrong? - -correct ans- -Fraud You are performing a regular inventory of the controlled substances in the pharmacy. You discover a minor inventory discrepancy. What should you do? - -correct ans- -Follow your pharmacy's procedures Your job is to submit a risk diagnosis to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) for the purpose of payment. As part of this job, you use a process to verify the data is accurate. Your immediate supervisor tells you to ignore the Sponsor's process and to adjust or add risk diagnosis codes for certain individuals. What should you do? - -correct ans- -Report the incident to the compliance department (via compliance hotline or other mechanism) You are in charge of paying claims submitted by providers. You notice a certain diagnostic provider ("Doe Diagnostics") requested a substantial payment for a large number of members. Many of these claims are for a certain procedure. You review the same type of procedure for other diagnostic providers and realize Doe Diagnostics' claims far exceed any other provider you reviewed. What should you do? - -correct ans- -Consult with your immediate supervisor for next steps or contact the compliance department (via compliance hotline, Special Investigations Unit [SIU], or other mechanism) A person drops off a prescription for a beneficiary who is a "regular" customer. The prescription is for a controlled substance with a quantity of 160. This beneficiary normally receives a quantity of 60, not 160. You review the prescription and have concerns about possible forgery. What is your next step? - -correct ans- -Call the prescriber to verify the quantity Waste includes any misuse of resources, such as the overuse of services or other practices that directly or indirectly result in unnecessary costs to the Medicare Program. - -correct ans- -True Bribes or kickbacks of any kind for services that are paid under a Federal health care program (which includes Medicare) constitute fraud by the person making as well as the person receiving them. - -correct ans- -True These are examples of issues that should be reported to a Compliance Department: suspected fraud, waste, and abuse (FWA); potential health privacy violation, unethical behavior, and employee misconduct. - -correct ans- -True Abuse involves payment for items or services when there is no legal entitlement to that payment and the provider has not knowingly or intentionally misrepresented facts to obtain payment. - - correct ans- -True Ways to report potential fraud, waste, and abuse (FWA) include: a. Mail drops b. Special Investigative Units (SIUs) c. Tekephone hotlines d. All of the above e. In-person reporting to the compliance department/supervisor - -correct ans- -All of the above Once a corrective action plan is started, the corrective action plan must be monitored annually to ensure they are effective. - -correct ans- -False What are some of the penalties for violating fraud, waste, and abuse (FWA) laws? At a minimum, an effective compliance program includes four core requirements. - -correct ans- -False Correcting non-compliance________ - -correct ans- -Protects enrollees, avoids recurrence of same non-compliance, and promotes efficiency These are examples of issues that can be reported to a Compliance Department: suspected fraud, waste, and abuse (FWA), potential health privacy violation, and unethical behavior/employee misconduct. - -correct ans- -True Once a corrective action plan begins addressing non-compliance for fraud, waste, and abuse (FWA) committed by a Sponsor's employee or first-tier, downstream, or related entity's (FDR's) employee, ongoing monitoring of the corrective actions is not necessary. - -correct ans- -False Standards of Conduct are the same for every Medicare Parts C and D sponsor. - -correct ans- - False What are some of the consequences for non-compliance, fraudulent, or unethical behavior? a.Exclusion from participating kin all Federal health care programs b.Termination of employment c.Disciplinary action d.All of the above - -correct ans- -All of the above Ms. Levi is considering enrollment in a Medicare Advantage HMO plan offered in her area. Ms. Levi often travels to visit relatives and is concerned that she may need emergency care outside of her plan's service area. What should you tell her about coverage of emergency care? - -correct ans- -Plans are required to cover out-of-network emergency care. 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. Agent Marvin Millner wants to reach out to his current clients for referrals. What advice would you give to Marvin? - -correct ans- -Marvin should understand that under CMS guidelines he can no longer provide gifts, even of minimal value, in exchange for referrals. NOT SURE Mr. Chen has heard about a Medical Savings Account (MSA) but wants to know if it is just about saving money, or if he will get insurance coverage for his health care expenditures as well. What should you tell him? - -correct ans- -Under the Medicare Advantage program, a MSA plan involves the combination of a high deductible health plan and a savings account for health expenses. Medicare will make contributions to this savings account to help him pay his health care expenses while in the deductible. NOT SURE Ms. Lewis understands that Medicare prescription drug plans may use various methods to control the use of specific drugs. She has heard about a technique called "step therapy" and is wondering if you can explain what that is. What should you tell her? - -correct ans- -Step therapy involves using one or more lower priced drugs before trying a more expensive drug when all are used to treat the same condition. Ms. Stuart has heard about a special needs plan (SNP) that one of her friends is enrolled in and is interested in that product. She wants to be sure she also has coverage for prescription drugs. Would she be able to obtain drug coverage if she enrolled in the SNP? - -correct ans- -Yes. All SNPs are required to provide Part D coverage for prescription drugs. Agent Roderick enrolls retiree Mrs. Martinez in a medical savings account (MSA) Medicare health plan. The MSA plan does not offer prescription drug coverage, so Agent Roderick also enrolls Mrs. Martinez in a standalone prescription drug plan (PDP). What CMS compensation rules apply to this situation? - -correct ans- -This situation is considered a "dual enrollment," and CMS compensation rules are applied to the two plans at once and independently of each other. Mr. Olsen is concerned that a Medicare Advantage plan will not cover the same range of services that would be covered under Original fee-for-service Medicare. What should you tell him? - - correct ans- -Though their cost-sharing may differ from Original Medicare's, Medicare Advantage plans are required to cover all services covered by original Medicare. Mrs. Wellington is enrolled in Parts A and B of Original Medicare. A friend recently told her that there is an excellent Medicare Advantage (MA) plan with a five-star rating serving her area. On January 15 she comes to you for advice as to what options, if any, she has. What should you say regarding special enrollment periods (SEPs)? - -correct ans- -Mrs. Wellington is eligible for a SEP that may be used once until November 30 to enroll in the five-star plan. Ms. Gardner is currently enrolled in an MA-PD plan. However, she wants to disenroll from the MA-PD plan and instead enroll in a Part D only plan and go back to Original Medicare. According to Medicare's enrollment guidelines, when could she do this? - -correct ans- -She may make such a change during the Annual Election Period that runs from Oct. 15 to December 7, or during the MA Open Enrollment Period which takes place from January 1- March 31 of each year. 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 bank account or credit or debit card, direct monthly billing from the plan, or deductions from their Social Security check. Ms. Jensen has heard about "Original Fee-for-Service Medicare" and "Private Fee-for-Service" plans. She wants to know what the difference is if any. What should you tell her? - -correct ans- - PFFS plans are a type of Medicare Advantage plan offered by private companies. Ms. Bushman has two homes in different states and is concerned about restrictions on where she can get her medications. What should you tell her? - -correct ans- -Part D prescription drug plans use networks of pharmacies within their service areas. She could look for a plan that maintains a network in both states. NOT SURE