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What Is a Medicare Summary Notice?

A Medicare Summary Notice, or MSN, is not a bill, so don't panic when it shows up in your mailbox. It's actually a summary of the bills that have been submitted to Medicare and what Medicare has paid on them. Any Medicare-covered services you've had should appear on your MSN. Even though it's not a bill, you still should read it over and make sure the information is accurate.

  1. MSN Overview

    • Your MSN may have one or two sections, depending on the services you've received during that quarter. Medicare Part A represents your hospital insurance, so if you've been hospitalized or have had inpatient skilled nursing care, your MSN will have both a Part A section and a Part B section. If you haven't been admitted to a hospital, then your MSN will only have a Part B section. Part B of Medicare represents doctor visits, lab tests and other outpatient care.

    MSN Part A

    • The MSN Part A section includes your dates of service, benefit days used, non-covered charges, deductible and coinsurance, what you may be billed by your provider and a notes section. Keep in mind that the amount in the "You May Be Billed" column may be covered by any secondary insurance you have; check with your insurance provider if you aren't sure.

    MSN Part B

    • The Part B section of your MSN is a little different than the Part A section. Part B of Medicare is what covers any doctor services and any medical care outside a hospital setting. You should look for services not covered by Medicare; if there are, speak to your provider and confirm that they billed Medicare correctly. As with the Part A section, the "You May Be Billed" charges may be covered in whole or in part by your secondary insurance.

    Using Your MSN

    • Check accuracy by comparing the "You May Be Billed" sections to your copays and what your insurance company has paid. If there's a discrepancy, contact your secondary insurance provider. You may need to provide your MSN to your insurance provider, so it's important to keep it on file. You can also review your MSN online at Medicare.gov if you don't want to wait for the paper version to arrive in the mail every three months.

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