Medical Expense✓ Verified · outline & fact-checked · Sep 2026Difficulty 2/5
A beneficiary delays enrolling in Medicare Part B for 36 months after first becoming eligible, with no creditable employer group coverage during that time. What is the result?
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Answer & full 3-part explanation (select an option above, or peek)
Why A is correct
The Part B late enrollment penalty is 10 percent of the standard premium for each full 12-month period that the beneficiary was eligible but lacked creditable coverage, and the surcharge lasts for as long as the person has Part B — a lifetime penalty. A 36-month delay means a 30 percent permanent surcharge, 10 percent for each of three full 12-month periods. Creditable group coverage based on current employment would have preserved a Special Enrollment Period instead, avoiding the penalty.
Why the other options are wrong
- B) The penalty is not a one-time payment; it is a permanent monthly premium surcharge.
- C) Medigap enrollment does not cure the Part B penalty; the surcharge attaches to the Part B premium itself for life.
- D) Part B is voluntary, but voluntary enrollment after the initial period triggers the permanent 10 percent per 12-month penalty.
Memory hook
Part B penalty = 10% per missed year, forever. The clock never forgives and never forgets.