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

Why A is correct

Eligibility for Medicare Part D requires that the individual be entitled to Medicare Part A and/or be enrolled in Medicare Part B. Part D is voluntary drug coverage, but it sits on top of the Part A/Part B entitlement. Beneficiaries may enroll in a stand-alone Prescription Drug Plan (PDP) alongside Original Medicare, or obtain drug coverage embedded in a Medicare Advantage plan (MAPD). No Medigap policy, MA enrollment, or age condition is required to enroll in Part D. The Part A or Part B entitlement is the anchor: a person who has neither cannot hold a PDP, even though Part D enrollment itself is voluntary and separate from the medical coverage.

Why the other options are wrong

• B) Medigap policies do not provide Part D drug coverage and are not a prerequisite for Part D enrollment.
• C) Stand-alone PDPs serve beneficiaries in Original Medicare; enrollment in a Medicare Advantage plan is not required.
• D) Part D is available to beneficiaries of any age who are entitled to Part A or enrolled in Part B.

Memory hook

Part D's entry ticket: a Part A or Part B entitlement. Show one card, get drug coverage.

Why A is correct

Part D is voluntary coverage available to anyone entitled to Part A and/or enrolled in Part B. A person may obtain drug coverage either through a stand-alone Prescription Drug Plan (PDP) or through a Medicare Advantage plan that includes drug coverage (MAPD). Enrollment in a Medigap plan or an MA plan is not a precondition for Part D.

Why the other options are wrong

• B) Part D is available through stand-alone PDPs for people in Original Medicare; an MA plan is not required.
• C) There is no age-55 threshold; the requirement is Part A entitlement and/or Part B enrollment.
• D) A Medigap policy is not required for Part D; in fact, Medigap plans do not include drug coverage.

Memory hook

Part D's entry ticket: a Medicare card (Part A and/or B). No MA, no Medigap, no age-55 test.

Why A is correct

Part D prescription drug coverage is available to anyone who is entitled to Medicare Part A and/or enrolled in Part B. The entitlement requirement ties drug coverage to the Medicare beneficiary population, so a person with no Medicare entitlement cannot enroll in a stand-alone prescription drug plan. Beneficiaries may hold just Part A, for example someone entitled to hospital coverage, or just Part B, and either satisfies the prerequisite for Part D enrollment. This linkage is a basic eligibility fact in the Part D rules and a frequently tested point.

Why the other options are wrong

• B) Part A alone is sufficient, but so is Part B alone. The requirement is Part A and/or Part B, not Part A exclusively, so a Part B-only beneficiary may also enroll.
• C) Part B alone also satisfies the requirement. The rule does not demand that a beneficiary hold Part A; entitlement to either part is enough.
• D) Part D is a Medicare program. Entitlement to Part A or enrollment in Part B is required, and a person with no Medicare coverage cannot enroll in a stand-alone PDP.

Memory hook

Part D is a Medicare guest list: A and/or B gets you in, no ticket means no drugs.

Why B is correct

Part D prescription drug coverage is available only to individuals who are entitled to Medicare Part A and/or enrolled in Medicare Part B. This requirement ties drug coverage to the Medicare beneficiary population. A beneficiary may obtain Part D either through a stand-alone Prescription Drug Plan (PDP) paired with Original Medicare or through a Medicare Advantage plan that bundles drug coverage (MA-PD), but Medicare enrollment itself is the prerequisite.

Why the other options are wrong

• A) Private health insurance does not confer Part D eligibility; the individual must be entitled to Part A and/or enrolled in Part B.
• C) A Medicare Advantage plan is one delivery method for drug coverage, not a requirement to enroll in Part D.
• D) Part D is a Medicare program for beneficiaries age 65 or older or those eligible through disability; there is no under-65 requirement.

Memory hook

Want Part D? You need Part A and/or Part B first. Medicare enrollment is the ticket to drug coverage.