Question 19

No Medicare supplement policy shall contain benefits that duplicate benefits provided by Medicare.

Medicare supplement policies are designed to complement Medicare by covering certain gaps in coverage. Thus, they must not provide benefits that duplicate those already covered by Medicare itself.

A) are for preexisting conditions.

This option is incorrect because, while Medicare supplement policies may impose waiting periods for preexisting conditions, they are not prohibited from offering benefits for such conditions after the waiting period. Therefore, this does not align with the stipulation regarding duplicative benefits.

B) an additional premium is charged.

This option is incorrect as well, since charging an additional premium for specific coverage does not inherently conflict with the regulations governing Medicare supplement policies. The presence of an additional premium does not relate to the prohibition against duplicating Medicare benefits.

C) duplicate benefits provided by Medicare.

This option is correct because Medicare supplement policies must not offer benefits that are already provided by Medicare. This regulation ensures that these policies serve their intended purpose of filling in coverage gaps without redundancy.

D) are not covered by Medicare.

This option is incorrect since Medicare supplement policies can offer benefits for services not covered by Medicare. The regulation does not limit these policies from providing additional coverage; it specifically targets the duplication of existing Medicare benefits.

Conclusion

The definitive correct answer is C, as it aligns with the regulatory framework governing Medicare supplement policies, which prohibits them from duplicating benefits already covered by Medicare. Other options fail to address this specific regulation and thus do not accurately reflect the requirements for Medicare supplement policies.