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This variable indicates whether there were any months during the year when the beneficiary was not enrolled in the Part D benefit but had another form of drug coverage that was at least as generous. This alternate coverage is known as creditable coverage because beneficiaries who maintain it do not have to pay a late enrollment penalty if they later enroll in Part D.
Common examples of creditable coverage are the FEHB program, Tricare, the VA, state pharmacy assistance programs, or employment-based coverage for beneficiaries who are still working. CMS does not collect information on the drugs covered by these other sources of coverage.
| Code | Code value |
|---|---|
| 0 | No instances of any creditable coverage status switch being "ON" at any point during the year |
| 1 | For at least 1 month during the year, 1 out of 5 creditable coverage switches was "ON". Therefore, the beneficiary was enrolled in at least 1 of 5 creditable coverage categories (i.e., FEHB, Tricare, VA, SPAP, or working aged). |
| * | Enrolled in Medicare A and/or B, but no Part D enrollment data for the beneficiary. (This status was indicated as 'X' for 2006-2009) |