What is a Medicare Summary Notice?

Have you received a Medicare Summary Notice (MSN) in the mail? Don’t worry, it’s standard procedure to receive one. Everyone who is covered under Medicare will get an MSN. Your health care providers and hospitals will send their bills for your health care services directly to Medicare. The MSM lists these services.

Medicare Summary Notice

Your Medicare Summary Notice is a basic report of all of the visits to your doctor, medical services, or supplies that have been billed to Medicare in your name. Your Medicare Summary notice is mailed to you every three months and it’s a great piece of information for you to review.

Your MSN is not a bill!

Don’t send anyone a check or payment because your Medicare Summary Notice is not a bill.

We recommend that you compare the details listed on your MSN. Compare the MSM with your actual receipts, medical bills, and statements from your doctors, health care providers and suppliers.

Look to see if everything matches. Make sure to reference the following details:

Dates
Billing codes
Descriptions of services you received

There may come a time when your MSN may show charges for services and supplies you didn’t know that you received — and they could be valid. Often times these are things such as tests or medical consultations. But, for the most part, the dates listed and their codes should match up. If you happen to see that the codes aren’t listed on your provider’s paperwork, simply request copies that include them.

What is listed on the MSM?

The MSM lists more than just the health care services you received in the past 3 months.

The MSN lists:

The total amount that Medicare has paid to the providers for every service.
The dollar amount that your providers billed Medicare directly for their services (IMPORTANT: The field named “Amount Charged” will not display your costs.)
The dollar amount you may be required to pay directly to health care providers. This is shown under the “You May Be Billed” field. (IMPORTANT: You will get a bill from your providers; DO NOT pay anything until you have received a bill from them.)
All non-covered charges. If you have any services that are excluded (not covered) under Medicare or denied, then this field will show you those charges. If you see a $0.00 listed in this field, then there were no excluded or denied services. If you notice a charge in this field means, then you will be responsible to pay for it. You are able to file an Appeal if you disagree with a non-covered charge.

can i get my medicare summary notice online?

Yes you can. Your MSM is available online at MyMedicare.gov. You’ll be able to login and see the charges that are going to be paid by Medicare as well as the charges that you’re responsible for (or your supplemental insurance if you have a separate plan).

What if a service was denied?

If you see that a service or item has been denied, contact your doctor or other Health care provider and make sure that they have submitted the information correctly. If they haven’t, the doctor’s office can resubmit.

If encounter a situation where you disagree with any decision made, you are able to file an appeal. Look at the last page of the Medicare Summary Notice. It will show you step-by-step directions on how (and when) to file your appeal.

how long should i keep medicare summary notices?

Holding on to your MSNs for at least 12 months is a good rule of thumb. It allows you to keep track of Medicare’s payment activity. The main reason to save your MSM for 1 year is because Medicare requires that all claims for health care services need to be filed with Medicare within 12 months after the date of service.

If you happen to need a copy of your MSM or lose is, simply dial 1-800-MEDICARE to request a new one. You can also login to your on www.mymedicare.gov.

💡 Your next step: Once you have Medicare, most people add a supplement plan to cover out-of-pocket costs. Compare Medicare Supplement plans to find the right fit.

Michael Quinn

Michael Quinn is a licensed Medicare insurance expert and cofounder of REMEDIGAP. With over a decade of experience, he helps people compare coverage options with clear, unbiased guidance. His insights have been featured by USA Today, NerdWallet and many other publications.