Which statement about Medigap Plan A is correct?

Why A is correct

Medigap policies are federally standardized into plans A through N, and Plan A is the base plan: it covers the core benefits that every Medigap policy must include, such as the Part A coinsurance and hospital costs plus an additional 365 lifetime hospital days, the Part B coinsurance (the 20% share), the first three pints of blood, and the Part A hospice care coinsurance. Other plans add benefits on top of this core. Medigap policies sold to new beneficiaries since 2006 may not cover prescription drugs, and Medigap supplements Original Medicare rather than replacing it as Medicare Advantage does.

Why the other options are wrong

• B) Medigap has multiple standardized plans (A through N), not just Plan A.
• C) Medigap sold to new enrollees cannot include prescription drug coverage.
• D) Plan A supplements Original Medicare; Medicare Advantage is a separate Part C program.

Memory hook

Plan A is the core skeleton every standardized Medigap policy must carry.

Why A is correct

Among the standardized Medigap plans, Plan A provides only the basic core benefits: the Part A hospital coinsurance, an additional 365 lifetime hospital days after Medicare benefits are exhausted, the Part B coinsurance and copayments, the first three pints of blood, and hospice care coinsurance. Plan A is the foundational policy that every carrier must offer, and it represents the minimum benefit package a beneficiary can purchase. All other standardized plans add extra benefits on top of this core, making Plan A the correct answer to which plan is the core-only minimum.

Why the other options are wrong

• B) Plan F adds coverage of the Medicare Part B deductible and Part B excess charges on top of the core benefits, making it far more comprehensive than Plan A. Plan F covers the Part B deductible and excess charges, going well beyond the core package.
• C) Plan G also covers Part B excess charges and includes additional benefits beyond Plan A's core, so it is not the minimum policy. Plan G includes excess-charge protection and other add-ons, so it is not the minimum plan.
• D) Plan K is a cost-sharing plan with lower premiums, but it includes additional benefits and out-of-pocket limit protections beyond the pure core of Plan A. Plan K carries extra benefits and out-of-pocket limits beyond the pure core of Plan A.

Memory hook

Plan A is the plain vanilla Medigap: core coinsurance, extra hospital days, blood, hospice — nothing more.

Why A is correct

Medigap policies are federally standardized into benefit plans designated Plan A through Plan N. Plan A provides the basic or core set of benefits that every Medigap plan must include, such as the Part A coinsurance and hospital costs, the Part A hospice care coinsurance or copayment, the Part A skilled nursing facility coinsurance, the Part B coinsurance or copayment, and the first three pints of blood. Insurers selling Medigap must offer Plan A. Other letters add benefits on top of this core, but none of them cover outpatient prescription drugs, which are left to Part D, or routine dental and vision care.

Why the other options are wrong

• B) Medigap policies sold to new enrollees do not cover prescription drugs; outpatient drugs are the province of Medicare Part D.
• C) Routine dental and vision care are not Medigap benefits; Medigap fills the gaps in Medicare cost-sharing, not excluded routine services.
• D) Only plans that cover the Part B deductible, such as the now-restricted Plan C and Plan F, pay it; Plan A does not.

Memory hook

Plan A is the core kit every Medigap must carry; the other letters just add extras.

Why A is correct

Medigap policies are federally standardized into plans labeled A through N. Plan A is the base plan that contains the core benefits, including the Part A coinsurance and additional hospital coverage, the Part B coinsurance or copayments, and the first three pints of blood. Every other standardized plan includes these Plan A core benefits plus additional coverage. Because Plan A is the foundation, it is the reference point for all Medigap comparison. Plan A is the baseline against which every other standardized letter is compared. Because all Medigap plans share the Plan A core benefits, the letter designations simply add different combinations of the skilled nursing coinsurance, deductibles, excess charges, and foreign travel coverage on top of that core.

Why the other options are wrong

• B) Plan D includes the core benefits plus additional coverage such as skilled nursing facility coinsurance; it is not the base plan. Plan D layers the skilled nursing facility coinsurance and Part B deductible on top of the core, so it is not the basic plan.
• C) Plan G adds broad benefits beyond the core, including Part B excess charges. Plan G covers most cost sharing including Part B excess charges, making it substantially broader than the core Plan A package.
• D) Plan N is a cost-sharing-oriented plan built on top of the core benefits. Plan N adds copayments for office visits and emergency room care, so it includes benefits beyond the Plan A core.

Memory hook

Plan A is Medigap's foundation block; every other letter just adds floors on top.

Why A is correct

Medigap policies are standardized, and every Medigap plan sold today must provide at least the core benefits of Plan A. Plan A covers the Part A coinsurance for hospital days 61 through 90 and lifetime reserve days, the Part B coinsurance, the first three pints of blood, and the Part A hospice care coinsurance. Because Plan A's benefits form the minimum package, any Medigap policy purchased after 1992 includes these core benefits regardless of the letter of the plan. Plans K, N, and C add benefits beyond the Plan A core.

Why the other options are wrong

• B) Plan K adds benefits such as Part A and Part B deductibles and copayments beyond the core, so it is not the basic package.
• C) Plan N adds cost-sharing features and extras beyond the Plan A core benefits.
• D) Plan C covers the core benefits plus Part B excess and other extras; Plan A alone is the minimum package.

Memory hook

Plan A is the Medigap foundation. Every lettered plan stacks more on top of A.

Why B is correct

Medicare Supplement Plan A provides the core benefits that apply to all standardized Medicare Supplement plans. These core benefits include the Medicare Part A coinsurance plus an additional 365 days of hospital coverage, the Part B coinsurance or copayment, the first three pints of blood, and the Part A hospice care coinsurance. Every standardized plan must provide these basic benefits; the other plans add benefits on top of this core. Medigap policies do not cover prescription drugs, which are covered by Part D.

Why the other options are wrong

• A) Medigap availability for beneficiaries under 65 varies by state; the core benefits are not limited to any age group.
• C) Medigap policies do not include prescription drug coverage; beneficiaries enroll in a Part D plan for drugs.
• D) Medigap supplements Medicare; it does not replace Part B, which remains the underlying coverage.

Memory hook

Plan A's core rides in every Medigap policy: Part A coinsurance, 365 extra days, Part B coinsurance, blood, hospice.

Why A is correct

Medigap Plan A contains the core benefits that are included in every standardized Medigap plan: the Part A hospital coinsurance, coverage for 365 additional hospital days after Medicare benefits are exhausted, the Part B coinsurance or copayment, the first three pints of blood, and the Part A hospice care coinsurance or copayment. Under California law, carriers that sell Medigap must offer Plan A, and it is the basic benchmark plan for comparison.

Why the other options are wrong

• B) Medigap policies sold after 2006 do not cover prescription drugs; drug coverage comes from Medicare Part D.
• C) Medigap supplements Medicare, never replaces it; beneficiaries must remain enrolled in Medicare Parts A and B.
• D) Medigap cannot be used with Medicare Advantage; a beneficiary in a Medicare Advantage plan cannot buy Medigap to supplement it.

Memory hook

Plan A = the core of all Medigap: Part A coinsurance, 365 extra hospital days, first 3 pints of blood.