topic Re: Question About Medicare & Supplement in Community Chat

Question About Medicare & Supplement

Sunshine Kate — Thu, 20 Nov 2025 17:32:48 GMT

I have Medicare and a supplement.

Yesterday I was getting a couple of xrays at the hospital and I was asked to sign a paper stating if there is a balance after Medicare and supplement pays their portion, I will pay the balance.

Do I have to sign it? If I didn't sign would they have refused service? (I should have asked, but was exhausted and wanted to get it over with).

Comments about this are appreciated.

TIA

Re: Question About Medicare & Supplement

Bella2022 — Thu, 20 Nov 2025 17:34:11 GMT

@Sunshine Kate wrote:
I have Medicare and a supplement.

Yesterday I was getting a couple of xrays at the hospital and I was asked to sign a paper stating if there is a balance after Medicare and supplement pays their portion, I will pay the balance.

Do I have to sign it? If I didn't sign would they have refused service? (I should have asked, but was exhausted and wanted to get it over with).

Comments about this are appreciated.

TIA
everybody asks that

Re: Question About Medicare & Supplement

Kachina624 — Thu, 20 Nov 2025 17:38:44 GMT

You have to sign it only if you want to be X-rayed. Who else would pay it if Medicare and your insurance doesnt?

Re: Question About Medicare & Supplement

deepwaterdotter — Thu, 20 Nov 2025 18:13:13 GMT

My understanding is no signature = no service.

Re: Question About Medicare & Supplement

LuvmyLab — Thu, 20 Nov 2025 18:22:09 GMT

Whenever I have a doctors appointment, I always do the e–check-in. It states in there that if there is a balance after insurance pays you are responsible for paying. It will not let you continue with the e-check-in if you do not agree to that. They just want to guarantee that you know that you’re responsible for anything the insurance company does not pay.

Re: Question About Medicare & Supplement

Icegoddess — Thu, 20 Nov 2025 18:28:57 GMT

In the future, you might want to verify that the facility/Doctor accepts Medicare Assignment. If they don't, that will leave you holding the bag for charges above what Medicare pays. If they accept Medicare Assigmment, they can't charge more than what Medicare would pay for. But, remember, there's also that pesky Deductible. And different Supplement letters cover more than others.

Re: Question About Medicare & Supplement

Sunshine Kate — Thu, 20 Nov 2025 18:34:59 GMT

@Kachina624 wrote:
You have to sign it only if you want to be X-rayed. Who else would pay it if Medicare and your insurance doesnt?

I have Medicare and an additional supplement that picks up the rest. (It's not an Advantage plan).

Re: Question About Medicare & Supplement

manny2 — Thu, 20 Nov 2025 18:51:36 GMT

@Sunshine Kate wrote:
@Kachina624 wrote:
You have to sign it only if you want to be X-rayed. Who else would pay it if Medicare and your insurance doesnt?

I have Medicare and an additional supplement that picks up the rest. (It's not an Advantage plan).

All it means is you agree to pay what Medicare doesn’t cover, usually the 20% coinsurance and any deductible. Nothing more. You have the supplement plan that picks up the 20%, so you are good. You did the right thing.

Re: Question About Medicare & Supplement

Desertdi — Thu, 20 Nov 2025 18:51:51 GMT

If you have a "high-priced" doctor...you will be asked to pay extra BEFORE the appointment...

Re: Question About Medicare & Supplement

Carmie — Thu, 20 Nov 2025 19:07:17 GMT

Forms like that are standard. Even if you didn't sign it, you are responsible for the Medicare deductible, Medicare coinsurance and an overage charge up to 15% above the amount Medicare allows if the provider does not accept the Medicare allowance and copayments.

Some states do not all the providers to bill the excess charge.

Not all the supplements cover the Medicare deductible or all of the coinsurance and some even have copayments.

Re: Question About Medicare & Supplement

kismet — Thu, 20 Nov 2025 20:01:27 GMT

I had an MRI years ago and was asked to sign that I would pay for it if it wasn't covered or pay the balance if it was. I would just sign it.

Re: Question About Medicare & Supplement

I am still oxox — Thu, 20 Nov 2025 21:26:57 GMT

I recently had some blood work done at Quest and had to sign somehitng similar

Re: Question About Medicare & Supplement

Still Raining — Fri, 21 Nov 2025 14:43:36 GMT

It is also protection for the provider if Medicare denies the service. Does happen.

Re: Question About Medicare & Supplement

Q-Checker — Fri, 21 Nov 2025 22:03:48 GMT

It's a standard request.

Re: Question About Medicare & Supplement

Jo1313 — Fri, 21 Nov 2025 23:24:41 GMT

I have regular Medicare and Blue Cross/ Blue Shield as my supplemental..I pay a lot for it monthly..If Medicare pays $1..BC/BS pays everything else..I've been told we were Grandfathered in this plan is no longer avaiable..I have never been asked to sign if they didn't get paid..I have never paid anything for tests ,doctors or hospital stays(months at a time with many surgeries)..even spent 45 days in a private nursing home for rehab to learn to walk again..never saw a bill.