On March 7, 2012, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced the redesign of the Medicare Summary Notice (MSN), the statement that informs Medicare beneficiaries about their claims for Medicare services and benefits. The Medicare Summary Notice (MSN) generally sets out what Medicare has or hasn't covered, provides information about a beneficiary's payment responsibilities, and lays out the process for initiating an administrative appeal when a beneficiary questions a denial of coverage. New features on the revised MSN include:
- A clear notice on how to check the form for important facts and potential fraud;
- An easy-to-understand snapshot of the beneficiary's deductible status, a list of providers they saw, and whether their claims for Medicare services were approved.
- Clearer language, including consumer-friendly descriptions for medical procedures;
- Definitions of all terms used in the form;
- Larger fonts throughout to make it easier to read;
- Information on preventive services available to Medicare beneficiaries.
The redesigned statement will be available online and, starting in 2013, mailed out quarterly to beneficiaries. To see a side-by-side comparison of the old and new MSNs, visit: http://www.cms.gov/apps/files/msn_changes.pdf.