What happens to Mr. Fitzgerald's stand-alone prescription drug plan when he moves outside its service area?

When a beneficiary like Mr. Fitzgerald moves outside the service area of his stand-alone prescription drug plan, he is required to disenroll automatically. This is because many Medicare plans, including stand-alone prescription drug plans, are geographically restricted and are designed to operate within specific areas. Once a member moves outside that designated service area, the plan can no longer provide coverage, leading to the automatic disenrollment of the member from the plan.

Beneficiaries are generally advised that this situation allows them to explore new plan options available in their new location during the enrollment periods, but they cannot maintain their current plan if they have relocated outside the coverage limits. Thus, the correct understanding of the outcome when someone moves out of a service area aligns with the regulations governing the operation of these plans.