What is the minimum benefit requirement for every Medicare Advantage plan?
Select an option to reveal the answer and the full 3-part explanation — free, no signup.
Answer & full 3-part explanation (select an option above, or peek)
Why A is correct
Every Medicare Advantage (Part C) plan must provide at least the same coverage as Original Medicare — all Medicare-covered services — and it may offer additional benefits such as dental, vision, hearing, or wellness programs. The 'at least as good' floor is the statutory baseline for Part C plans. Medicare Advantage plans may impose their own cost-sharing structures, so they are not required to cover everything at 100%, but they may never drop below the Original Medicare benefit level. In addition to the benefit floor, MA plans must follow Medicare's coverage rules for services such as preventive care, and they must notify beneficiaries of any benefit changes each year.
Why the other options are wrong
- B) MA plans must cover both Part A and Part B services; limiting coverage to hospital services would violate the requirement.
- C) MA plans may apply deductibles, copays, and coinsurance; there is no 100%-coverage mandate.
- D) MA plans must cover every Original Medicare service; there is no exemption from the baseline benefit requirement.
Memory hook
MA's floor is Original Medicare's full menu. Anything extra — dental, vision, gyms — is the private plan's topping.