Seven Medicare Mistakes to Avoid- Mistake # 5 - Paying Your Part B Deductible at Time of Service by Allen Heffler

Paying Your Part B Deductible at Time of Service

Medicare Part B covers most outpatient services such as doctor visits,  lab and diagnostic, Xrays, etc. In 2017, Medicare Part B has an annual deductible of $183. This means that the first $183 of services for the year- you have to pay for. There are several different Medicare Supplement Plans available; two popular Medicare Supplement Plans are Plan G and Plan N. With these two plans, YOU are responsible to pay your Part B deductible.
If you have one of these plans, it is important to follow the following procedure as it related to that deductible.  When you visit your doctor or facility DO NOT pay you Part B deductible at the time of that service. The doctor's office will send the bill to Medicare. and Medicare will pay the bill-except for the Part B deductible. Then, the provider will send you a bill for that deductible.
The following is the reason that you don't want to pay the Part B deductible at time of visit. What happens if you have some lab work done the very next day? That lab facility will send the bill to Medicare and Medicare might apply the deductible to the lab work and not towards the doctor's office visit. If this occurs, and if you already paid the doctor the deductible at time of visit, you just paid the deductible twice. And it will be a headache and difficult to get back one of those deductibles that you paid twice. Thus, it is always best to be BILLED for the deductible, and not pay it at time of service. While mistakes do happen, it is important to try to avoid them! Since even the most prepared person might encounter issues, it’s in your best interest to work with an independent Medicare broker who knows what they are doing when it comes to Medicare. We are here to help you every step of the way! Wouldn’t it be nice to have someone on your side with Medicare? Just call Allen Heffler – MyMedicareAdvisor at (215) 658-1776.

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