There are many different types of Notices from Medicare. I won’t go into every kind of Medicare notice in this blog post. However I will cover a select few important Medicare notices you should be aware of and also understand. By understanding what they mean, it may help avoid and/or resolve issues with your Medicare coverage.
- Medicare Summary Notice Also known as “MSN” for short. (Received Quarterly, if you have Original Medicare) It is a summary of health care services and/or items you have received during the previous three months. It contains information about charges billed to Medicare, the amount that Medicare paid, and the amount you are responsible for, however the Medicare Summary Notices are NOT actual bills. You will receive actual bills from the providers themselves.
To find out more about MSN Notices, click on this web link below, which will jump you to a previous blog post I wrote on the same topic.
https://mgildarinsurance.com/blog/medicare/medicare-summary-notice--.html
It is advisable to save these MSN’s for future reference in case you need to prove that certain costs have been covered or paid for. - Explanation Of Benefits Also known as an “EOB” for short. (Generally mailed each month, but only if you have a Medicare Advantage Plan or a Part D Prescription Drug Plan). The Explanation Of Benefits similarly shows a summary of benefits for services and items you have received and how much you may owe. An Explanation Of Benefits is NOT a bill. If your Explanation Of Benefits shows that an item or service that is not being covered, look for a section that includes notes, comments, footnotes, or remarks to find out the reason why. Then contact your plan if you have any questions about your Explanation Of Benefits, including to ask for more information about any services not covered. You may decide to file an appeal, depending on what your plan tells you. It is advisable to save these EOB’s for future reference in case you need to prove that certain costs have been covered or paid for.
- Annual Notice Of Change Also known as “ANOC” for short. (For Medicare Advantage or Part D plans. It is supposed to arrive in your US Mail in late September.) This Annual Notice Of Change gives a summary of any changes in the plan’s cost and coverage that will take effect January 1 of the next year. You should review this ANOC notice to see if your plan will continue to meet your health care needs in the following year. If you do not receive an ANOC from your plan, you should contact your plan. The ANOC is typically mailed with the plan’s Evidence of Coverage (EOC), which is a more comprehensive list of the plan’s cost and benefits for the upcoming year.
To find out more about ANOC notices, click on this web link below, which will jump you to a previous blog post I wrote on this same subject.
https://mgildarinsurance.com/blog/medicare/medicare---what-is-anoc-and.html
Note: If you are dissatisfied with changes on your ANOC or EOC, remember that you are allowed to change your Medicare plans during the Annual Election Period AEP. (Oct. 15 thru Dec 7, with an effective date of January 1st of the next year.) - Creditable Coverage Notices If you are enrolled in a Prescription Drug Plan through an employer, you should receive a notice from your employer or plan around September of each year, informing you whether your drug coverage is creditable. It is important to keep these notices. You may need this type of notice as proof that you had creditable coverage. That creditable coverage proof should help verify that you had creditable coverage so you won’t have to pay a Part D late enrollment penalty if you decide to enroll in a Part D plan in the future.
- Advance Beneficiary Notice (If you have Original Medicare.) An Advance Beneficiary Notice (ABN), is also known as a waiver of liability. It is an advance written notice of non-coverage that a provider should give you before you receive a service if based on Medicare coverage rules, your provider has reason to believe Medicare will not pay for the service. That way a Fee-For-Service (FFS) beneficiary should be able to make an informed decision in advance about items and/or services that are usually covered by Medicare, but may not be expected to be paid by Medicare in a specific instance for certain reasons, such as lack of medical necessity.
To find out more about ABN notices, click on this web link below, which will jump you to a previous blog post I wrote on this same subject.
https://mgildarinsurance.com/blog/medicare/medicare-what-is-an-advance.html
Note: Medicare Insurance information can be overwhelming and confusing to many people. As an independent licensed agent I can explain things to you in simple terms so you feel comfortable making a decision. Then I can help you choose and enroll in a plan that you feel fits your needs.
By the way, it doesn’t cost you any more if you enroll in a Medicare Insurance plan through me as an independent agent versus directly with an insurance company either over the phone or via the Internet, since I get paid by the insurance companies for your enrollment. Plus you will have personalized service by a local agent. If you would like my assistance, please call me at 941-404-5334.
By calling this number, I understand I will be directed to a licensed insurance sales agent.