"I don't understand," a woman said. "I know I'm eligible for Medicare part A and it's free. Part B isn't free. When will I ever use it?" Which of the following would be the most appropriate response by the nurse?

Question

a. "Part A is only for hospital bills. Most care is given on an outpatient basis. Part B pays a large portion of those costs."
b. "Part A is a benefit because you paid into Social Security for more than 10 years. In comparison, part B is optional if you want that additional insurance."
c. "Part B is easy to pay for; they take the cost out of your Social Security check each month."
d. "Researchers have found that people don't waste health care resources if they have to pay a bit for them."

Answer 1

ANS: A
All the responses are true, although the woman may not care about research findings. Further, she may well prefer the money from her Social Security benefit to be paid to her rather than go for additional insurance. However, the reason the woman needs to know why she should pay for part B is that so much care today is given on an outpatient basis, including diagnostic procedures, physicals, speech and occupational therapy, ambulances, durable medical equipment, and some home health care services.