What must Mr. Arias do before he can enroll in a Medicare Advantage plan if he stopped paying his Part B premium?

Before enrolling in a Medicare Advantage plan, Mr. Arias must first re-enroll in Medicare Part B if he has stopped paying his Part B premium. The reason for this requirement is that Medicare Advantage plans are designed to provide comprehensive coverage to Medicare beneficiaries, but they require individuals to be enrolled in both Medicare Part A and Part B as a prerequisite. If Mr. Arias has ceased premium payments, that may lead to disenrollment or loss of his Part B coverage.

Restoring his Part B status is essential, as he will not be eligible to join a Medicare Advantage plan without it. Once he successfully re-enrolls in Part B and maintains his premium payments, he can proceed with his Medicare Advantage plan enrollment. This highlights the crucial link between Part B coverage and the options available within Medicare Advantage.

The other choices involve actions that do not directly address the requirement of restoring Part B coverage, such as waiting for an enrollment period, submitting an appeal, or switching to Medicaid, none of which allow for immediate access to a Medicare Advantage plan without first resolving the Part B premium issue.