Community Chat

[Sunshine Kate]

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

[Bella2022]

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@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 

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[Kachina624]

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

[deepwaterdotter]

My understanding is no signature = no service.

[LuvmyLab]

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.

[Icegoddess]

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.

[Sunshine Kate]

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@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?

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

[manny2]

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@Sunshine Kate wrote:

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@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?

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

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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.

[Desertdi]

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

[Carmie]

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.