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 a number of 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?
b.
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.
Question 2
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?
c.
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.
Question 3
Mrs. Roberts has Original Medicare and would like to enroll in a Private Fee-for-Service (PFFS) plan. All types of PFFS plans are available in her area. Which options could Mrs. Roberts consider before selecting a PFFS plan?
d.
A Medicare Advantage Prescription Drug (MA-PD) PFFS plan that combines medical benefits and Part D prescription drug coverage, a PFFS plan offering only medical benefits, or a PFFS plan in combination with a stand-alone prescription drug plan.
Question 4
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?
a.
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.
Question 5
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?
a.
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.
Question 6
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?
b.
The extra help is available to beneficiaries whose income and assets do not exceed annual limits specified by the government.
Question 7
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?
a.
Yes. Mrs. Walters must be entitled to Part A and/or enrolled in Part B to be eligible for coverage under the Medicare prescription drug program.
Question 8
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?
c.
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.
Question 9
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.
a.
I, II, and III only
Question 10
Ms. Edwards is enrolled in a Medicare Advantage plan that includes prescription drug plan (PDP) coverage. She is traveling and wishes to fill two of the prescriptions that she has lost. How would you advise her?
a.
She may fill prescriptions for covered drugs at non-network pharmacies, but likely at a higher cost than paid at an in-network pharmacy.
Question 11
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?
d.
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.
Question 12
All plans must cover at least the standard Part D coverage or its actuarial equivalent. Which of the following statements best describes some of the costs a beneficiary would incur for prescription drugs under the standard coverage?
d.
Standard Part D coverage would require payment of an annual deductible, fixed per-prescription co-payments, and once catastrophic coverage begins, the plan covers 100% of all costs.
Question 13
Mrs. Fiore is a retired federal worker with coverage under a Federal Employee Health Benefits (FEHB) plan that includes creditable drug coverage. She is ready to turn 65 and become Medicare eligible for the first time. What issues might she consider about whether to enroll in a Medicare prescription drug plan?
a.
She could compare the coverage to see if the Medicare Part D plan offers better benefits and coverage than the FEHB plan for the specific medications she needs and whether any additional benefits are worth the Part D premium costs on top of her FEHB contribution.
