A Medicare Advantage plan may offer enrollees benefits that Original Medicare does not cover. Which statement about such extra benefits is correct?
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Answer & full 3-part explanation (select an option above, or peek)
Why A is correct
Medicare Advantage plans may offer additional benefits beyond those provided by Original Medicare, and many plans include routine dental, vision, and hearing coverage, along with wellness programs, gym memberships, transportation, and other services. These extras are funded within the plan's bid structure and vary widely among plans. The plan must still cover all Original Medicare benefits, and the extra benefits are an option the plan chooses to offer to attract enrollees. Because Original Medicare does not cover these routine services, an MA plan's extras are a significant selling point for beneficiaries who want them.
Why the other options are wrong
- B) The law permits and many plans offer extra benefits; only the Original Medicare floor is mandatory, not a ceiling on additional coverage.
- C) Medigap supplements Original Medicare and cannot be combined with an MA plan, so it is not the source of MA extra benefits.
- D) Custodial care in a nursing facility is not required and is not a typical MA extra benefit; MA extras are such items as dental, vision, and hearing.
Memory hook
MA can sweeten the pot: dental, vision, and hearing are the extras Original Medicare never buys.