To enroll in a Medicare Part D prescription drug plan, an individual must:

Why A is correct

Part D eligibility requires the person to be entitled to Medicare Part A and/or enrolled in Medicare Part B. Beneficiaries with Original Medicare can join a stand-alone PDP, and Medicare Advantage enrollees receive drug coverage through their MA-PD plan. Being 65 or older or disabled is not an additional condition beyond Medicare entitlement.

Why the other options are wrong

• B) Part D serves people entitled to Medicare, who are generally 65 or older or disabled; being under 65 is not a requirement.
• C) Beneficiaries with other drug coverage may still join Part D, though they should consider whether that coverage is creditable.
• D) Medigap carriers do not sell Part D plans; PDPs and MA-PD plans are sold by Medicare-contracted insurers.

Memory hook

Part D needs Part A and/or Part B — Medicare entitlement first, drugs second.

Why A is correct

To enroll in a stand-alone Medicare Part D prescription drug plan, the beneficiary must be enrolled in Medicare Part A and/or Part B, because Part D is available only to Medicare beneficiaries who have one of the two basic coverages. A person enrolled in both Parts A and B, or in either one alone, may choose a Part D plan. There is no requirement to own a Medigap policy, and older adults over 65 are the program's primary population. The Part D enrollment is voluntary, but eligibility is tied to enrollment in the underlying Medicare program.

Why the other options are wrong

• B) The 60 lifetime reserve days are a Part A hospital benefit, not a condition for Part D enrollment.
• C) Medigap is optional supplement coverage and is unrelated to Part D eligibility; in fact, Part D is the drug benefit Medigap no longer provides.
• D) Medicare beneficiaries age 65 and over are the core Part D population; being under 65 is not a requirement.

Memory hook

Part D's ticket in: show your Part A or Part B card first.

Why A is correct

To enroll in a stand-alone Part D prescription drug plan, the individual must be entitled to Medicare Part A and/or enrolled in Part B. Part D is voluntary, and eligible beneficiaries may choose a stand-alone PDP or a Medicare Advantage plan with prescription drug coverage (MAPD). Having existing creditable coverage is a reason an individual may delay Part D without penalty, not a prerequisite for enrollment. Medigap plans do not provide prescription drug coverage and are not required for Part D.

Why the other options are wrong

• B) Part D is available to all Medicare beneficiaries, including those 65 and older; there is no under-65 requirement.
• C) Medigap is separate from Part D and does not include drug coverage; it is not a prerequisite.
• D) Creditable coverage is what allows penalty-free delay of Part D, not what permits enrollment.

Memory hook

Part D entry ticket: Part A, Part B, or both. Creditable coverage just stops the late penalty clock.