A person delays enrolling in Medicare Part B for 24 months after becoming eligible, with no other coverage. When the person finally enrolls, the Part B late enrollment penalty is:

Why A is correct

The Part B late enrollment penalty adds 10% to the monthly premium for each full 12-month period that the beneficiary was eligible for Part B but failed to enroll without other creditable coverage, and the surcharge lasts as long as the beneficiary has Part B — permanently. A 24-month delay therefore produces a 20% premium increase for life. The penalty exists to push beneficiaries to enroll on time, and it applies even though Part B is technically voluntary. This 10%-per-year structure differs sharply from the Part D penalty of 1% per uncovered month.

Why the other options are wrong

• B) The Part B penalty is a percentage premium surcharge, not a one-time fee based on the deductible, so this option describes a structure the law never uses.
• C) The penalty attaches to the monthly premium, not to the deductible, and it is not limited to one year, so this option misplaces both the target and the duration.
• D) Part B enrollment is voluntary in form, but late enrollment without creditable coverage does trigger a permanent penalty, so this answer wrongly treats voluntariness as penalty-free.

Memory hook

Part B penalty = 10% per full year late, forever. Two years late means a permanent 20% premium tax.