Denton County Living Well Magazine March/April 2016 | Page 26

Read ALL Medicare/Patient Forms
Alert!
Before Procedures & Before Signing!
By Tucker Thompson

Some doctors and hospitals are placing signs in their reception area stating they may run procedures not covered by
insurance or Medicare and that the client is responsible for
payment. Be aware, Medicare will only pay for Medicare
approved procedures. The signing of a form may state you
are responsible for these charges, even though you gave
the receptionist your Medicare insurance cards.

When you get a bill from the hospital or medical office, check
your EOB (explanation of benefits) from Medicare and your
insurance company. You may have deductibles or co-pays,
depending on your Medicare coverage. If a charge is not
approved by Medicare, the charge may be sent to you. Telephone the billing department and ask for a supervisor. If you
specifically told the receptionist when checking in that you
only wanted procedures approved by Medicare, write down
the name of the person you’re talking with in the billing department, and politely explain to them that you only agreed
to Medicare approved services. Some billing departments will
take the charge off while others will insist you signed the form.

Always read before signing! When checking into a hospital
or medical office before any procedures or services, tell the
receptionist you only want services paid for by Medicare,
unless you are willing to personally pay for services not approved by Medicare. Show your Medicare card, Medicare
Supplement card, or your Medicare Advantage Plan card. If
the form states you agree to pay for any procedures not approved by Medicare, you may want to cross out and initial
that sentence, in addition to signing and dating the form usually at the end of the docum