One of your clients, Lauren Nichols, has heard about a Medicare concept from one of
her neighbors called TrOOP. She asks you to explain it. What do you say? - Answer d.
TrOOP stands for true out-of-pocket expenses that count toward the Medicare Part D
catastrophic limit and include not only expenses paid by a beneficiary but also in some
instances drug manufacturer discounts.
Mrs. Allen has a rare condition for which two different brand name drugs are the only
available treatment. She is concerned that since no generic prescription drug is
available and these drugs are very high cost, she will not be able to find a Medicare Part
D prescription drug plan that covers either one of them. What should you tell her? -
Answer c. Medicare prescription drug plans are required to cover drugs in each
therapeutic category. She should be able to enroll in a Medicare prescription drug plan
that covers the medications she needs.
Mrs. Quinn has just turned 65, is in excellent health and has a relatively high income.
She uses no medications and sees no reason to spend money on a Medicare
prescription drug plan if she does not need the coverage. She currently does not have
creditable coverage. What could you tell her about the implications of such a decision? -
Answer a. If she does not sign up for a Medicare prescription drug plan as soon as she
is eligible to do so, and if she does sign up at a later date, her premium will be
permanently increased by 1% of the national average premium for every month that she
was not covered.
Which of the following statements about Medicare Part D are correct?
I. Part D plans must enroll any eligible beneficiary who applies regardless of health
status except in limited circumstances.
II. Private fee-for-service (PFFS) plans are not required to use a pharmacy network but
may choose to have one.
III. Beneficiaries enrolled in a MA-Medical Savings Account (MSA) plan may only obtain
Part D benefits through a standalone PDP.
IV. Beneficiaries enrolled in a MA-PPO may obtain Part D benefits through a standalone
PDP or through their plan. - Answer a. I, II, and III only
Mrs. Roswell is a new Medicare beneficiary who has just retired from retail work. She is
interested in selecting a Medicare Part D prescription drug plan. She takes a number of
medications and is concerned that she has not been able to identify a plan that covers
all of her medications. She does not want to make an abrupt change to new drugs that
would be covered and asks what she should do. What should you tell her? - Answer a.
Every Part D drug plan is required to cover a single one-month fill of her existing
medications sometime during a 90-day transition period.
Mr. Zachow has a condition for which three drugs are available. He has tried two but
had an allergic reaction to them. Only the third drug works for him and it is not on his
Part D plan's formulary. What could you tell him to do? - Answer d. Mr. Zachow has a
right to request a formulary exception to obtain coverage for his Part D drug. He or his