Share of Cost, Do You Know How to Use Medicare’s Preventive Services? Part 3

Sunday, Apr. 9th 2017 6:40 AM

Point 3: Know the type of providers you should see.

Original Medicare, you should receive preventive care services from providers who accept assignment. Assignment is an agreement by your provider to accept the payment amount Medicare approves for your health service or item, and not to bill you for any more than the Medicare- approved deductible and coinsurance. Part B now pays for most covered preventive and screening services at 100 percent of Medicare’s approved amount, so if you receive these services from a provider who accepts assignment, you will have no out-of-pocket costs. If you are in a Medicare Advantage Plan, your plan should not charge you for preventive care services that are free for people with Original Medicare, as long as you see in-network providers. In-network providers accept your Medicare Advantage Plan as insurance. If you do not see a Medicare-participating provider who accepts assignment or an in-network provider, charges will typically apply to your preventive care service.

Note: You play a vital role in protecting the integrity of Medicare and can help detect fraud by carefully reviewing your summary of claims from Medicare or your plan. Always call your provider’s office to ensure they did not make a billing mistake. If your call is unsuccessful or if your provider is uncooperative, call our California Senior Medicare Patrol (SMP) at 1-855-613-7080.

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