Medical Expense✓ Verified · outline & fact-checked · Sep 2026Difficulty 2/5
A person who has earned 40 or more Social Security work credits is entitled to Medicare Part A hospital coverage:
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
Medicare Part A hospital coverage is premium-free for workers who have paid into Social Security long enough to earn at least 40 work credits, which is about ten years of covered work. A person with 40 or more credits pays no monthly Part A premium. Those with fewer credits can still enroll but must pay a premium: 30 to 39 credits qualify for a reduced Part A premium, while 0 to 29 credits require a higher buy-in premium. The 40-credit threshold is the standard for free Part A coverage.
Why the other options are wrong
- B) There is no 12-month premium requirement for Part A; a worker with 40 or more credits gets premium-free Part A permanently.
- C) Medigap is private supplemental coverage and is not a condition for receiving premium-free Part A.
- D) Part D is voluntary prescription drug coverage and has no bearing on whether Part A is premium-free.
Memory hook
40 credits = about a decade of work = free Part A. Fewer credits, pay more.