Advance Beneficiary Notice of Noncoverage

If you have Original Medicare and your doctor, health care provider, or supplier thinks Medicare probably (or certainly) won't pay for items or services, they may give you a written notice called an "Advance Beneficiary Notice of Noncoverage" (ABN). Other types of ABNs include the "Skilled Nursing Facility Advance Beneficiary Notice," "Home Health Advance Beneficiary Notice," and "Hospital Issued Notice of Noncoverage."

The ABN lists the items or services that Medicare isn't expected to pay for, an estimate of the costs for the items and services, and the reasons why Medicare may not pay. The ABN gives you information to make an informed choice about whether or not to get items or services, understanding that you may have to accept responsibility for payment.

You’ll be asked to choose an option box and sign the notice to say that you read and understood it. You must choose one of the following options:

• Option 1: You want the items or services that may not be paid for by Medicare. Your provider or supplier may ask you to pay for them now, but you also want them to submit a claim to Medicare for the items or services. If Medicare denies payment, you’re responsible for paying, but, since a claim was submitted, you can appeal to Medicare.
• Option 2: You want the items or services that may not be paid for by Medicare, but you don’t want your provider or supplier to bill Medicare. You may be asked to pay for the items or services now, but because you request your provider or supplier to not submit a claim to Medicare, you can’t file an appeal.
• Option 3: You don’t want the items or services that may not be paid for by Medicare, and you aren’t responsible for any payments. A claim isn’t submitted to Medicare, and you can’t file an appeal.

An ABN isn't an official denial of coverage by Medicare. You have the right to file an appeal if payment is denied when a claim is submitted.