How to read your Medicare Summary Notice

If you have Original Medicare, you get a Medicare Summary Notice (MSN) listing the services billed to Medicare. It isn't a bill. It shows what Medicare paid and what you may owe the provider.

How you get it

• By mail, at least twice a year.
• Electronically, if you sign up in your Medicare.gov account: you get an email each month your notice is ready, instead of paper copies. You can also see your claims any time in your account under "Check my claims."

Medicare Advantage and drug plans send their own statements instead. A drug plan sends an Explanation of Benefits each month you fill a prescription.

What to check

• Did you get every service, supply and piece of equipment listed?
• Are the dates and providers right?
• Does what you were billed match the "you may owe" amount?

Keep your receipts and compare them. Call the provider first if something looks wrong; it may be a simple billing mistake.

If you see something you didn't get

It could be fraud. Report it to 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227; TTY 1-877-486-2048). For drug plans or Medicare Advantage plans, you can also call the Investigations Medicare Drug Integrity Contractor at 1-877-772-3379. Your local Senior Medicare Patrol (1-877-808-2468) can help too. See Medicare scams.

Using your MSN

• To appeal: if Medicare didn't cover a service, the MSN explains how to appeal. Circle the item and explain why you disagree. See appeals.
• To prove you're in QMB: the MSN shows if you're in the QMB program and shouldn't be billed for Medicare cost sharing. See QMB protections.

To change the address on your MSN, update it with Social Security, or with the Railroad Retirement Board if you get RRB benefits.