Juan Perez, who is turning age 65 next month, intends to work for several more years at Smallcap, Incorporated. Smallcap has a workforce of 15 employees and offers employer-sponsored healthcare coverage. Juan is a naturalized citizen and has contributed to the Medicare system for over 20 years. Juan asks you if he will be entitled to Medicare and if he enrolls how that will impact his employer-sponsored healthcare coverage. How would you respond?
a.
Juan is likely to be eligible for Medicare once he turns age 65 and if he enrolls Medicare would become the primary payor of his healthcare claims and Smallcap does not have to continue to offer him coverage comparable to those under age 65 under its employer-sponsored group health plan.
Question 2
Ms. Gibson recently lost her employer group health and drug coverage and now she wants to enroll in a PPO that does not include drug coverage. What should you tell her about obtaining drug coverage?
b.
She can enroll in the PPO, but she will not be able to purchase a stand-alone Medicare Part D prescription drug plan.
Question 3
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?
c.
They are Medicare health plans such as HMOs, PPOs, PFFS, and MSAs.
Question 4
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.
c.
I, II, and IV only
Question 5
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?
d.
State Medicaid programs do not coordinate any of their coverage with Medicare Advantage plans.
Question 6
Dr. Elizabeth Brennan does not contract with the ABC PFFS plan but accepts the plan’s terms and conditions for payment. Mary Rodgers sees Dr. Brennan for treatment. How much may Dr. Brennan charge?
b.
Dr. Brennan can charge Mary Rodgers more than the cost sharing specified in the PFFS plan’s terms and conditions as long as she treats all beneficiaries the same.
Question 7
Mr. Lombardi is interested in a Medicare Advantage (MA) PPO plan that you represent. It is one of three plans operated by the same organization in Mr. Lombardi’s area. The MA PPO plan does not include drug coverage, but the other two plans do. Mr. Lombardi likes the PPO plan that does not include drug coverage and intends to obtain his drug coverage through a stand-alone Medicare prescription drug plan. What should you tell him about this situation?
a.
He could enroll either in one of the MA plans that include prescription drug coverage or Original Medicare with a Medigap plan and standalone Part D prescription drug coverage, but he cannot enroll in the MA-only PPO plan and a stand-alone prescription drug plan.
Question 8
Mrs. Andrews asked how a Private Fee-for-Service (PFFS) plan might affect her access to services since she receives some assistance for her health care costs from the State. What should you tell her?
c.
Medicaid may provide additional benefits, but Medicaid will only pay for these services if they are furnished by Medicaid participating providers.
Question 9
Mrs. Radford asks whether there are any special eligibility requirements for Medicare Advantage. What should you tell her?
d.
Mrs. Radford must be entitled to Part A and enrolled in Part B to enroll in Medicare Advantage.
Question 10
Mr. Romero is 64, retiring soon, and considering enrollment in his employer-sponsored retiree group health plan that includes drug coverage with nominal copays. He heard about a neighbor’s MA-PD plan that you represent and because he takes numerous prescription drugs, he is considering signing up for it. What should you tell him?
d.
He should compare the benefits in his employer-sponsored retiree group health plan with the benefits in his neighbor’s MA-PD plan to determine which one will provide sufficient coverage for his prescription needs.
Question 11
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?
c.
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.
Question 12
Daniel is a middle-income Medicare beneficiary. He has chronic bronchitis, putting him at severe risk for pneumonia. Otherwise, he has no problems functioning. Which type of SNP is likely to be most appropriate for him?
b.
C-SNP
Question 13
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?
c.
Mrs. Chi may enroll in a MA MSA plan and remain in her current standalone Part D prescription drug plan.
Question 14
Mrs. Kelly, age 65, is entitled to Part A but has not yet enrolled in Part B. She is considering enrollment in a Medicare Advantage plan (Part C). What should you advise her to do before she will be able to enroll in a Medicare Advantage plan?
b.
To join a Medicare Advantage plan, she also must enroll in Part B.
Question 15
Mr. Gomez notes that a Private Fee-for-Service (PFFS) plan available in his area has an attractive premium. He wants to know if he must use doctors in a network as his current HMO plan requires him to do. What should you tell him?
a. He may receive health care services from any doctor allowed to bill Medicare, as long as he shows the doctor the plan’s identification card and the doctor agrees to accept the PFFS plan’s payment terms and conditions, which could include balance billing.
