Medicare summary notice
People with Original Medicare will receive a Medicare Summary Notice (MSN) in the mail every three months for their Medicare Parts A and B-covered services. This is strictly a notice, not a bill. (If you are enrolled in a Medicare Advantage plan, you will receive an Explanation of Benefits (EOB) if you get care covered by your plan.)
The MSN shows:
- All your services or supplies that providers and suppliers billed to Medicare during the three-month period.
- What Medicare paid.
- The maximum amount you may owe the provider.
Here is an example of what the MSN envelope looks like:
Sample Medicare summary notices
- Part A Medicare summary notice (PDF, 2MB) (www.medicare.wa.gov)
- Part B Medicare summary notice (PDF, 2MB) (www.medicare.wa.gov)
- Durable medical equipment (DME) Medicare summary notice (PDF, 2MB) (www.medicare.wa.gov)
When you'll receive it
Every three months, Medicare will send you an MSN, but only if you received services or medical supplies during that three-month period.
How to change your address
If you change your address, you should notify:
- Social Security (www.ssa.gov)
- Railroad Retirement Benefits (only if you receive these benefits) (www.rrb.gov)
What to do with the notice
- If you have other insurance, check to see if it covers anything that Medicare didn’t.
- Keep your receipts and bills, and compare them to your MSN to be sure you got all the services, supplies, or equipment listed.
- If you paid a bill before you got your notice, compare your MSN with the bill to make sure you paid the right amount for your services.
- If an item or service is denied, call your medical provider's office to make sure they submitted the correct information. If not, the office may resubmit.
- If you disagree with any decision made, you can file an appeal. On the last page of the MSN there are step-by-step directions on when and how to file an appeal.
Access your MSN online
You can sign up for an account at www.mymedicare.gov and:
- View Medicare Parts A and B claim information
- Order duplicate MSNs
- View your account information
- Track your claims
- Track your preventive services
- Add provider information