Can you enroll in Medicare Part D if you only have Part A?

Asked by: Viola Fay V  |  Last update: December 19, 2023
Score: 4.5/5 (22 votes)

If you are eligible for Medicare coverage, you are also eligible for the Medicare drug benefit (Part D). You must be enrolled in Medicare Part A and/or Part B to enroll in Part D.

Can you enroll in Medicare Part A without Part B?

Medicare Part B (Medical Insurance)

Part B also covers many preventive services. Part B coverage is your choice. However, you need to have Part B if you want to buy Part A.

Can you have Medicare Part D without Part C?

People can choose to enroll in a standalone Medicare Part D plan or bundle it with Medicare Part C. If a person enrolls in a standalone Part D plan, they pay a monthly premium based on the expected cost to the insurance company.

How do I add Part D to an existing Medicare plan?

Part D enrollment

To enroll in a Part D plan, you can do any of the following: Call 1-800-MEDICARE. Counselors are available to guide you through your options and enroll you in a plan. It is a good idea to enroll through 1-800-MEDICARE to avoid administrative errors.

What does it mean to have Medicare Part A only?

Medicare Part A helps cover your inpatient care in hospitals, critical access hospitals, and skilled nursing facilities (not custodial or long-term care). It also helps cover hospice care and some home health care.

How and When to Enroll in Medicare Part D

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Can you enroll in Medicare Part A anytime?

You can sign up for Part A any time after you turn 65. Your Part A coverage starts 6 months back from when you sign up or when you apply for benefits from Social Security (or the Railroad Retirement Board). Coverage can't start earlier than the month you turned 65. I have a Health Savings Account (HSA).

Why is there no premium for Medicare Part A?

Part A (Hospital Insurance) costs. $0 for most people (because they or a spouse paid Medicare taxes long enough while working - generally at least 10 years). If you get Medicare earlier than age 65, you won't pay a Part A premium. This is sometimes called “premium-free Part A.”

Can you get Part D directly from Medicare?

If you want to get Part D coverage, you have to choose and enroll in a private Medicare prescription drug plan (PDP) or a Medicare Advantage Plan with drug coverage (MAPD). Enrollment is optional (though recommended to avoid incurring future penalties) and only allowed during approved enrollment periods.

Is Part D Medicare mandatory?

Enrollment in Medicare Part D plans is voluntary, except for beneficiaries who are eligible for both Medicare and Medicaid and certain other low-income beneficiaries who are automatically enrolled in a PDP if they do not choose a plan on their own.

Is Part D included in a Medicare supplement plan?

Medicare supplement plans don't include prescription drug coverage. You'll need a separate Medicare Part D prescription drug plan if you: Have a plan purchased after 2006. Are shopping for a plan now.

Does Part D penalty go away when you turn 65?

If you are enrolled in Medicare because of a disability and currently pay a premium penalty, once you turn 65 you will no longer have to pay the penalty. How do you calculate your premium penalty? Let's say you delayed enrollment in Part D for seven months (and you do not meet any of the exceptions listed above).

How much is Medicare Part D 2023?

The estimated average monthly premium for Medicare Part D stand-alone drug plans is projected to be $43 in 2023, based on current enrollment, a 10% increase from $39 in 2022 – a rate of increase that outpaces both the current annual inflation rate and the Social Security cost-of-living adjustment for 2023.

Do I need Medicare Part D if I have an Advantage plan?

Most Medicare Advantage Plans include Medicare drug coverage (Part D). In certain types of plans that don't include Medicare drug coverage (like Medical Savings Account Plans and some Private Fee-for-Service Plans), you can join a separate Medicare drug plan.

Can I drop Medicare Part B if I have other insurance?

So long as you have creditable coverage elsewhere, you can disenroll from Medicare Part B without incurring late penalties.

What happens if you don't enroll in Medicare Part A at 65?

Part A late enrollment penalty

If you have to buy Part A, and you don't buy it when you're first eligible for Medicare, your monthly premium may go up 10%. You'll have to pay the penalty for twice the number of years you didn't sign up.

Can I decline Medicare Part B?

If you don't qualify to delay Part B, you'll need to enroll during your Initial Enrollment Period to avoid paying the penalty. You may refuse Part B without penalty if you have creditable coverage, but you have to do it before your coverage start date.

Why would you get Medicare Part D?

Medicare Part D helps cover the cost of prescription drugs. Part D is optional and only provided through private insurance companies approved by the federal government. However, Part D is offered to everyone who qualifies for Medicare.

What is the out of pocket maximum for Medicare Part D?

Medicare Part D plans don't have hard out-of-pocket maximums. However, in all Part D plans, you enter what's called the catastrophic coverage phase after you hit $7,400 in out-of-pocket costs for covered drugs.

What is the Part D coverage gap in 2023?

Once you and your plan have spent $4,660 on covered drugs in 2023, you're in the coverage gap. This amount may change each year. Also, people with Medicare who get Extra Help paying Part D costs won't enter the coverage gap.

What is the difference between Medicare Part B and Part D?

Part B provides outpatient/medical coverage. Part C offers an alternate way to receive your Medicare benefits (see below for more information). Part D provides prescription drug coverage.

Does Medicare Part D cover over the counter?

However, if you're enrolled in a Medicare drug plan (Part D), the plan may cover these drugs. Generally, your Medicare drug plan only covers prescription drugs and won't pay for over-the-counter drugs, like aspirin or laxatives.

How do I drop Medicare Part D?

How to drop your Medicare drug plan
  1. Call us at 1-800 MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227). TTY: 1-877-486-2048.
  2. Mail or fax a signed written notice to the plan telling them you want to disenroll.
  3. Submit a request to the plan online, if they offer this option.
  4. Call the plan and ask them to send you a disenrollment notice.

Is Medicare Part A really free?

However, the Medicare program is made of multiple parts, and when budgeting, it's important to consider the total costs for the different types of coverage. Although nearly everyone will get free Medicare Part A, the total cost for all components of Medicare will typically be between $165 and $370 per month.

When a person is eligible for Medicare Part A it will always be premium free?

Most people get Part A for free, but some have to pay a premium for this coverage. To be eligible for premium-free Part A, an individual must be entitled to receive Medicare based on their own earnings or those of a spouse, parent, or child.

Why is Medicare Part B so expensive?

Medicare costs, including Part B premiums, deductibles and copays, are adjusted based on the Social Security Act. And in recent years Part B costs have risen. Why? According to CMS.gov, “The increase in the Part B premiums and deductible is largely due to rising spending on physician-administered drugs.