Which standardized Medigap plan offers only the basic core benefits — such as Part A coinsurance and Part B coinsurance and copayments — and serves as the minimum policy available to all eligible applicants?
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Answer & full 3-part explanation (select an option above, or peek)
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.