Medicare Assignment
What is a Medicare Assignment?
If you are enrolled in Medicare, here's a tip that might save you money: When you require medical treatment and services, ask your provider if he or she accepts Medicare Assignment.
When you "assign" your claim to a provider, you are telling the provider to receive payment directly from Medicare. Some providers, called :participating providers," have agreed to submit all their Medicare claims on an assigned basis. Non-participating providers, called "medicare providers," may choose whether to accept assignment on each individual claim.
What are the advantages of Assignment?
The most important advantage of assignment is that the provider who accepts Medicare assignment agrees to accept medicare's "approved amount" as full payment for the covered services. A provider who accepts assignment may not require you to pay up front for the full cost of services you receive. further, in the event that Medicare does not approve the claim, you may be protected from liability if your provider accepted assignment.
What if my provider does not accept Assignment?
If your provider will not accept assignment, you must pay the provider directly for his or her services and wait for Medicare to send you reimbursement, and you may have to pay the provider the entire original charge.
Who is responsible for submitting my claims to Medicare?
In the past, either you or the provider could submit claims paperwork to Medicare with an unassigned claim. Providers are now required to file all beneficiary medical claims, whether or not they take assignment.
If the provider does not accept Assignment, will I have to pay the entire original charge?
Originally, if a provider does not accept assignment, he or she can demand payment of the entire original charge. However, in Massachusetts there is a law protecting Medicare beneficiaries who receive services from physicians licensed by the Massachusetts Board of Registration in Medicine.