3 tips for people in the Qualified Medicare Beneficiary Program
If you’re among the 7.5 million people in the Qualified Medicare Beneficiary (QMB) Program, Medicare providers aren’t allowed to bill you for services and items Medicare covers, including deductibles, coinsurance, and copayments. If a provider asks you to pay, that’s against the law.
If you get a bill for these charges:
Tell your provider or the debt collector that you’re in the QMB Program and can’t be charged for Medicare deductibles, coinsurance, and copayments. If you’ve already made payments on a bill for services and items Medicare covers, you have the right to a refund.
Note: To make sure your provider knows you’re in the QMB Program, show both your Medicare and Medicaid or QMB card each time you get care. You can also give your provider a copy of your Medicare Summary Notice (MSN). Your MSN will show you’re in the QMB Program and shouldn’t be billed. Log in to your Medicare.gov account at any time to view your MSN or sign up to get your MSNs electronically.
If your provider won’t stop billing you, call us at 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227). TTY users can call 1-877-486-2048. We can confirm that you’re in the QMB Program. We can also ask your provider to stop billing you, and refund any payments you’ve already made.
If you have a problem with a debt collector, you can send a complaint to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) online or call the CFPB toll-free at (855) 411-2372. TTY users can call (855) 729-2372. CFPB will forward your complaint to the debt collection company and work to get you a response from them.
When you get health services, remember to always show your QMB card whenever you show your Medicare card. This card is proof of your QMB status and means that your health care provider cannot bill you for Medicare co-pays or deductibles.
Rockford Ambulatory Surgery Center wants to make sure you are billed correctly for the services provided. Without the QMB card on file, you may be unnecessarily charged for deductibles/co-pays.
