Question 77

A Medicare Supplement policy must NOT contain benefits which duplicate Medicare benefits.

A Medicare Supplement policy should not provide benefits that overlap with those already covered by Medicare. This is essential to avoid redundancy and ensure that beneficiaries receive only the additional coverage they need.

A) charge additional premiums.

While Medicare Supplement policies do require premiums, this option does not address the requirement to avoid duplicating Medicare benefits. Charging additional premiums is a standard practice for insurance policies and does not conflict with the principles governing Supplement plans.

B) duplicate Medicare benefits.

This option is correct because Medicare Supplement policies are designed to fill gaps in Medicare coverage, not to replicate what Medicare already offers. Including duplicate benefits would undermine the purpose of these policies, which is to provide supplementary coverage without redundancy.

C) cover more than Medicare coverage.

Medicare Supplement policies are intended to complement Medicare, but they cannot provide benefits that exceed what Medicare covers. However, this does not directly address the issue of duplicating benefits, making this option incorrect in the context of the question.

D) are covered by Workers Compensation.

While benefits covered by Workers Compensation are typically excluded from Medicare Supplement policies, this option does not specifically relate to the duplication of Medicare benefits. Thus, it does not align with the core requirement outlined in the question.

Conclusion

The requirement that a Medicare Supplement policy must not duplicate Medicare benefits is crucial for ensuring that these policies serve their intended purpose of providing additional, non-redundant coverage. Options A, C, and D either misinterpret the nature of Supplement policies or fail to address the key issue of duplicating Medicare benefits, making B the only correct answer.