Does your provider accept Medicare as full payment?
You can get the lowest cost if your doctor or other health care provider accepts the Medicare-approved amount as full payment for a covered service. This is called “accepting assignment.” If a provider accepts assignment, it’s for all Medicare-covered Part A and Part B services.

Using a provider that accepts assignment
Most doctors, providers, and suppliers accept assignment, but always check to make sure that yours do.
If your doctor, provider, or supplier accepts assignment:
- Your out-of-pocket costs may be less.
- They agree to charge you only the Medicare deductible and coinsurance amount, and usually wait for Medicare to pay its share before asking you to pay your share.
- They have to submit your claim directly to Medicare and can't charge you for submitting the claim.
How does assignment impact my drug coverage?
Using a provider that doesn't accept Medicare as full payment
Some providers who don’t accept assignment still choose to accept the Medicare-approved amount for services on a case-by-case basis. These providers are called "non-participating."
If your doctor, provider, or supplier doesn't accept assignment:
- You might have to pay the full amount at the time of service.
- They should submit a claim to Medicare for any Medicare-covered services they give you, and they can’t charge you for submitting a claim. If they refuse to submit a Medicare claim, you can submit your own claim to Medicare. Get the Medicare claim form .
- They can charge up to 15% over the Medicare-approved amount for a service, but no more than that. This is called "the limiting charge."
Does the limiting charge apply to all Medicare-covered services?
Using a provider that "opts-out" of Medicare
- Doctors and other providers who don’t want to work with the Medicare program may "opt out" of Medicare.
- Medicare won’t pay for items or services you get from provider that opts out, except in emergencies.
- Providers opt out for a minimum of 2 years. Every 2 years, the provider can choose to keep their opt-out status, accept Medicare-approved amounts on a case-by-case basis ("non-participating"), or accept assignment.
Find providers that opted out of Medicare.
Private contracts with doctors or providers who opt out
- If you choose to get services from an opt-out doctor or provider you may need to pay upfront, or set up a payment plan with the provider through a private contract.
- Medicare won’t pay for any service you get from this doctor, even if it’s a Medicare-covered service.
What are the rules for private contracts?
You may want to contact your State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) for help before signing a private contract with any doctor or other health care provider.
What do you want to do next?
- Next step: Get help with costs
- Take action: Find a provider
- Get details: How to get Medicare services
- Newsletters
- FAC Articles
CPT Changes
Current book and archives back to 2000 Easy-to-read online book format Linked to and from code details
Find-A-Code Articles, Published 2014, August 1
What does accept assignment mean.
by InstaCode Institute Aug 1st, 2014 - Reviewed/Updated Mar 5th
What does it mean to accept assignment on the CMS 1500 claim form - also called the HCFA 1500 claim form.? Should I accept assignment or not? What are the guidelines for accepting assignment in box 27 of the 1500 claim?
These commonly asked questions should have a simple answer, but the number of court cases indicates that it is not as clear cut as it should be. This issue is documented in the book “Problems in Health Care Law” by Robert Desle Miller. The definition appears to be in the hands of the courts. However, we do have some helpful guidelines for you.
One major area of confusion is the relationship between box 12, box 13 and box 27. These are not interchangeable boxes and they are not necessarily related to each other.
According to the National Uniform Claim Committee (NUCC), the "Accept Assignment" box indicates that the provider agrees to accept assignment. It simply says to enter an X in the correct box. It does NOT define what accepting assignment might or might not mean.
It is important to understand that if you are a participating provider in any insurance plan or program, you must first follow the rules according to the contract that you sign. That contract supersedes any guidelines that are included here.
Medicare Instructions / Guidelines
PARTICIPATING providers MUST accept assignment according to the terms of their contract. The contract itself states:
“Meaning of Assignment - For purposes of this agreement, accepting assignment of the Medicare Part B payment means requesting direct Part B payment from the Medicare program. Under an assignment , the approved charge, determined by the Medicare carrier, shall be the full charge for the service covered under Part B. The participant shall not collect from the beneficiary or other person or organization for covered services more than the applicable deductible and coinsurance.”
By law, the providers or types of services listed below MUST also accept assignment:
- Clinical diagnostic laboratory services;
- Physician services to individuals dually entitled to Medicare and Medicaid;
- Services of physician assistants, nurse practitioners, clinical nurse specialists, nurse midwives, certified registered nurse anesthetists, clinical psychologists, and clinical social workers;
- Ambulatory surgical center services for covered ASC procedures;
- Home dialysis supplies and equipment paid under Method II;
- Ambulance services;
- Drugs and biologicals; and
- Simplified Billing Roster for influenza virus vaccine and pneumococcal vaccine.
NON-PARTICIPATING providers can choose whether to accept assignment or not, unless they or the service they are providing is on the list above.
The official Medicare instructions regarding Boxes 12 and 13 are:
“Item 12 – The patient's signature authorizes release of medical information necessary to process the claim. It also authorizes payments of benefits to the provider of service or supplier when the provider of service or supplier accepts assignment on the claim.” “Item 13 - The patient’s signature or the statement “signature on file” in this item authorizes payment of medical benefits to the physician or supplier. The patient or his/her authorized representative signs this item or the signature must be on file separately with the provider as an authorization. However, note that when payment under the Act can only be made on an assignment-related basis or when payment is for services furnished by a participating physician or supplier, a patient’s signature or a “signature on file” is not required in order for Medicare payment to be made directly to the physician or supplier.”
Regardless of the wording on these instructions stating that it authorizes payments to the physician, this is not enough to ensure that payment will come directly to you instead of the patient.To guarantee payment comes to you, you MUST accept assignment.
Under Medicare rules, PARTICIPATING providers are paid at 80% of the physician fee schedule allowed amount and NON-participating providers are paid at 80% of the allowed amount, which is 5% less than the full Allowed amount for participating providers. Only NON-participating providers may "balance bill" the patient for any amounts not paid by Medicare, however, they are subject to any state laws regarding balance billing.
TIP: If you select YES, you may or may not be subject to a lower fee schedule, but at least you know the payment is supposed to come to you.
NON-MEDICARE Instructions / Guidelines
PARTICIPATING providers MUST abide by the terms of their contract. In most cases, this includes the requirement to accept assignment on submitted claims.
NON-PARTICIPATING providers have the choice to accept or not accept assignment.
YES means that payment should go directly to you instead of the patient. Generally speaking, even if you have an assignment of benefits from the patient (see box 12 & 13), payment is ONLY guaranteed to go to you IF you accept assignment.
NO is appropriate for patients who have paid for their services in full so they may be reimbursed by their insurance. It generally means payment will go to the patient.
What Does Accept Assignment Mean?. (2014, August 1). Find-A-Code Articles. Retrieved from https://www.findacode.com/articles/what-does-accept-assignment-mean-34840.html
Article Tags (click on a tag to see related articles)
Thank you for choosing Find-A-Code, please Sign In to remove ads.

What is Medicare Assignment & What Doctors Accept It
Home / FAQs / General Medicare / What is Medicare Assignment & What Doctors Accept It
Find Medicare Plans in 3 Easy Steps
We can help find the right Medicare plans for you today
Billing Arrangement Options for Providers Who Accept Medicare
- Participating Provider: Providers that accept Medicare Assignment agree to accept what Medicare establishes per procedure, or visit, as payment in full.
- Non-Participating Provider: Providers in this category do accept Medicare, but do not accept the amount Medicare says a procedure or visit should cost. These providers reserve the right to charge an excess charge of up to 15% more than the Medicare-approved amount.
- Opt-Out Providers : There is a very small percentage of providers that do not accept Medicare, less than 3%.
What is Medicare Assignment of Benefits?
What doctors accept medicare assignment, doctors near me that accept medicare, do all doctor accept medicare supplement plans, do most doctors accept medicare advantage, does having medicaid impact your doctor network, what are medicare assignment codes, what is medicare assignment for part b, what happens if a doctor doesn’t accept medicare assignment, what is a medicare opt-out private contract, before you sign a private contract, you should know the following:.
- Medicare can’t reimburse you
- Medicare can’t pay for services
- You can pay for services whenever you want, without signing a contract
- The service provider sets prices
How to Avoid Excess Charges
You can avoid excess charges by visiting a provider who accepts Medicare & participates in Medicare assignment. If your provider does not accept Medicare assignment, you can get a Medigap plan that will cover any excess charges. Not all Medigap plans will cover excess charges, but some do. Give us a call to see what Medigap plans in your area will cover excess charges. If you prefer, fill out our online rate form , and one of our Medicare agents will call you with your rates.

Enter ZIP Code
Enter your ZIP code to pull plan options available in your area.

Compare Plans
Select which Medicare plans you would like to compare in your area.

Compare rates side by side with plans & carriers available in your area.

Jagger Esch
- Medicare Expert
- https://www.medicarefaq.com/
Jagger Esch is the Medicare expert for MedicareFAQ and the founder, president, and CEO of Elite Insurance Partners and MedicareFAQ.com. Since the inception of his first company in 2012, he has been dedicated to helping those eligible for Medicare by providing them with resources to educate themselves on all their Medicare options. He is featured in many publications as well as writes regularly for other expert columns regarding Medicare.
15 thoughts on “ What is Medicare Assignment & What Doctors Accept It ”
Hello Lindsay. My doctors office says they accept medicaid. Does that mean they accept medicare? I have plan N with Cigna.
Hi Thomas! Medicare & Medicaid are two different types of health coverage. However, I would imagine if your doctor accepts Medicaid, they probably accept Medicare. I would just give them a call to verify.
Comment Cancel reply
Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *
Write comment
Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.
Related Posts
Updated on September 15, 2021
How to File a Medicare Claim
Most of the time, you won’t need to worry about filing your own Medicare claims. Since most providers accept assignment,...
Updated on February 8, 2023
Medicare Annual Wellness Visit
Each year you have Medicare coverage, you are eligible for an Annual Wellness Visit. The Medicare Annual Wellness Visit allows...
Updated on November 2, 2022
Welcome to Medicare Visit
Preventive care allows you to mitigate health concerns before they become more significant. The Welcome to Medicare visit lets you...
CMS 1500 claim form and UB 04 form- Instruction and Guide
Instructions and guideline for CMS 1500 claim form and UB 04 form. Tips and updates. Detailed review of all the fields and box in CMS 1500 claim form and UB 04 form and ADA form. HCFA 1500 and UB 92 form instruction.
- CMS 1500 claim form - How to fill out correctly - Instruction
- Referring provider, Ordering provider and billing provider - CMS 1500 & UB04 form FAQ
- Medicare provider Enrollment question and answer part 1
- Medicare Enrollment - question and answer part 2
- Complete claim submission - some tips
- Medicare Deductible FAQ
- Secondary claim submission CMS 1500 requirements
- UB 04 - Complete instruction to fill the form
Thursday, November 10, 2016
Meaning of accept assignment , no comments:, post a comment, popular posts.
- UB 04 Medicare Discharge status code DISCHARGE STATUS This field identifies the discharge status of the patient at the statement through date. This is a two-position alphanum...

- CMS BOX 22 Re-submission claims on CMS 1500 AND UB 04 For Adjustments: When requesting an adjustment to a paid claim, enter an “A” followed by the 13-character internal control number (ICN) as...
- UB 04 - Condition code, occurence code and date fields FLs 18 thru 28. Condition Codes. a. Each code is two numeric digits. b. If code 07 is entered, type of bill must not be hospice 81X or 8...
- cpt 96360, 96361, 93365 - 96372, 96376 - hydration therapy CPT/HCPCS Codes Group 1 Paragraph: N/A Group 1 Codes: 96360 Intravenous infusion, hydration; initial, 31 minutes to 1 hour 96361 In...
- CLIA Number on UB 04 form and CMS 1500 form “CLIA” - The Clinical Laboratory Improvement Act and CMS implementing regulations and processes. A paper claim for laboratory testing ...
- corrected claim - replacement of prior claim - UB 04 Corrected Claims A corrected claim is a claim that has already been processed, whether paid or denied, and is resubmitted with additional...
- Denial code N290 AND N257 NPI: Troubleshooting Rejections Denial Reason, Reason/Remark Code(s) N257: Information missing/invalid in Item 33 - Missing/incomplete...
Jurisdiction E - Medicare Part B
California, Hawaii, Nevada, American Samoa, Guam, Northern Mariana Islands
- Noridian Medicare Portal (NMP) Login
Assignment and Nonassignment of Benefits - JE Part B

Provider Enrollment
- Enroll in Medicare
- Enrollment Application Status Search
- Enrollment Forms
- Enrollment on Demand Tutorials
- Make Changes
- Open Enrollment
- Opt Out of Medicare
- Order, Certify, Prescribe Part D Drugs
- PECOS and the Identity and Access Management System
- Provider Enrollment Reconsiderations, CAPs, and Rebuttals
- Provider Enrollment Contact Center
- Reactivation
- Revalidation
- Total Enrollment
- Withdraw from Medicare
Assignment and Nonassignment of Benefits
Under the Medicare program, there are two Medicare reimbursement options. They are Assignment and Nonassignment. Accepting assignment on a Medicare claim can be a definite advantage to both the physician/supplier and the beneficiary. The Medicare claim itself constitutes a legal agreement between the physician/supplier and the beneficiary which carries specific terms with it that must be observed.
Assignment of benefits applies to all participating providers (including ambulance providers and limited license practitioners who, are participating providers by statute and must accept assignment on all Medicare claims) and non-participating providers (who may accept assignment on a case-by-case basis). If the provider accepts assignment, the Medicare payment will be made directly to the provider. Under this method, the provider agrees to accept the Medicare approved amount as full payment for covered services.
Item 27 on the CMS-1500 claim form allows the provider to indicate whether they accept or do not accept assignment. When accepting assignment, the beneficiary may be billed for the 20% coinsurance, any unmet deductible and for services not covered by Medicare. The difference between the billed amount and the Medicare approved amount cannot be billed.
Note: The 20% coinsurance is based on 20% of the Medicare approved amount (not 20% of the billed amount). Private insurance policies usually will reimburse the beneficiary for the 20% coinsurance and the deductible. Some private insurance policies may reimburse the beneficiary for services not covered by Medicare.
On assigned claims, the physician/supplier is bound by the assignment agreement, even if no payment is issued as a result of the payment being applied toward the beneficiary's annual deductible. He/she must still accept Medicare's approved amount as payment in full.
It is possible for a physician/supplier to accept assignment on a partially paid bill. In this case the physician/supplier still must accept Medicare's allowed amount as their payment in full. If Medicare's allowed amount is less than the amount that the beneficiary has already paid, the physician/supplier must refund the difference to the beneficiary. If a physician/supplier delays submission of an assigned claim until no payment can be made, the physician/supplier may only collect the 20% coinsurance and any unmet deductible from the beneficiary.
A physician/supplier can collect charges from the beneficiary for services that are denied as not covered by Medicare even though assignment was accepted on the claim. Assignment cannot be canceled once the claim is processed and the carrier has sent a notice of determination to both parties. This also applies to all future resubmissions, adjustments, and appeals of the claim, in case of denial or underpayment. Participating physicians and suppliers may not cancel assignment as this would be a violation of the participation agreement.
If a physician/supplier consistently violates the assignment agreement, the carrier may, with concurrence of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), refuse to pay assigned claims submitted by that physician or supplier. Public Law 95-142 provides that any person who knowingly, willfully and repeatedly violates the assignment agreement shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and subject to a maximum fine of $10,000.00 and/or exclusion from the Medicare program for up to five years. This legislation also provides that when convicted of a criminal offense related to their involvement in Medicare or Medicaid, they will be suspended from participating in both programs.
Medicare carriers are required to report, and act on, any violation of the assignment agreement. A physician/supplier is in violation of the assignment agreement if they collect, or attempt to collect:
- More than the deductible or coinsurance amount, or
- A fee for the paperwork involved in filing the claim.
Physicians and suppliers contracting with billing agents are ultimately responsible for the activities of those agents. When assignment is accepted, the billing agent should not bill the beneficiary for any amount above the 20% coinsurance and any unmet deductible.
Nonassignment of Benefits
The second reimbursement method a physician/supplier has is choosing to not accept assignment of benefits. Under this method, a non-participating provider is the only provider that can file a claim as non-assigned. When the provider does not accept assignment, the Medicare payment will be made directly to the beneficiary.
The provider may bill the beneficiary no more than the limiting charge for covered services. Should the provider bill more than the limiting charge for a covered service, the provider will have violated the non-participating agreement and may be subject to fines or penalties. When a provider does not accept assignment on a Medicare claim, he/she is not required to file a claim to the beneficiary's secondary insurance.
An exception to the non-participating agreement is that non-participating providers are required by law to accept assignment when the beneficiary has both Medicare and Medicaid. Mandatory assignment of clinical laboratory services, ambulance services and drugs and biologicals is also a requirement. Medicare pays all clinical la b at 100% of the clinical lab fee schedule.
Last Updated Tue, 25 Oct 2022 20:17:09 +0000
User License Agreement and Consent to Monitoring
End User Agreements for Providers
Some of the Provider information contained on the Noridian Medicare web site is copyrighted by the American Medical Association, the American Dental Association, and/or the American Hospital Association. This includes items such as CPT codes, CDT codes, ICD-10 and other UB-04 codes.
Before you can enter the Noridian Medicare site, please read and accept an agreement to abide by the copyright rules regarding the information you find within this site. If you choose not to accept the agreement, you will return to the Noridian Medicare home page.
THE LICENSES GRANTED HEREIN ARE EXPRESSLY CONDITIONED UPON YOUR ACCEPTANCE OF ALL TERMS AND CONDITIONS CONTAINED IN THESE AGREEMENTS. BY CLICKING ABOVE ON THE LINK LABELED "I Accept", YOU HEREBY ACKNOWLEDGE THAT YOU HAVE READ, UNDERSTOOD AND AGREED TO ALL TERMS AND CONDITIONS SET FORTH IN THESE AGREEMENTS.
IF YOU DO NOT AGREE WITH ALL TERMS AND CONDITIONS SET FORTH HEREIN, CLICK ABOVE ON THE LINK LABELED "I Do Not Accept" AND EXIT FROM THIS COMPUTER SCREEN.
IF YOU ARE ACTING ON BEHALF OF AN ORGANIZATION, YOU REPRESENT THAT YOU ARE AUTHORIZED TO ACT ON BEHALF OF SUCH ORGANIZATION AND THAT YOUR ACCEPTANCE OF THE TERMS OF THESE AGREEMENTS CREATES A LEGALLY ENFORCEABLE OBLIGATION OF THE ORGANIZATION. AS USED HEREIN, "YOU" AND "YOUR" REFER TO YOU AND ANY ORGANIZATION ON BEHALF OF WHICH YOU ARE ACTING.
LICENSE FOR USE OF "PHYSICIANS' CURRENT PROCEDURAL TERMINOLOGY", (CPT) FOURTH EDITION
End User/Point and Click Agreement:
CPT codes, descriptions and other data only are copyright 2002-2020 American Medical Association (AMA). All Rights Reserved. CPT is a trademark of the AMA.
You, your employees and agents are authorized to use CPT only as contained in the following authorized materials: Local Coverage Determinations (LCDs), training material, publications, and Medicare guidelines, internally within your organization within the United States for the sole use by yourself, employees and agents. Use is limited to use in Medicare, Medicaid, or other programs administered by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). You agree to take all necessary steps to ensure that your employees and agents abide by the terms of this agreement. You acknowledge that the AMA holds all copyright, trademark, and other rights in CPT.
Any use not authorized herein is prohibited, including by way of illustration and not by way of limitation, making copies of CPT for resale and/or license, transferring copies of CPT to any party not bound by this agreement, creating any modified or derivative work of CPT, or making any commercial use of CPT. License to use CPT for any use not authorized here in must be obtained through the AMA, CPT Intellectual Property Services, 515 N. State Street, Chicago, IL 60610. Applications are available at the AMA Web site, https://www.ama-assn.org .
This product includes CPT which is commercial technical data and/or computer data bases and/or commercial computer software and/or commercial computer software documentation, as applicable which were developed exclusively at private expense by the American Medical Association, 515 North State Street, Chicago, Illinois, 60610. U.S. Government rights to use, modify, reproduce, release, perform, display, or disclose these technical data and/or computer data bases and/or computer software and/or computer software documentation are subject to the limited rights restrictions of DFARS 252.227-7015(b)(2)(June 1995) and/or subject to the restrictions of DFARS 227.7202-1(a)(June 1995) and DFARS 227.7202-3(a)June 1995), as applicable for U.S. Department of Defense procurements and the limited rights restrictions of FAR 52.227-14 (June 1987) and/or subject to the restricted rights provisions of FAR 52.227-14 (June 1987) and FAR 52.227-19 (June 1987), as applicable, and any applicable agency FAR Supplements, for non-Department Federal procurements.
AMA Disclaimer of Warranties and Liabilities CPT is provided "as is" without warranty of any kind, either expressed or implied, including but not limited to, the implied warranties of merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose. The AMA warrants that due to the nature of CPT, it does not manipulate or process dates, therefore there is no Year 2000 issue with CPT. The AMA disclaims responsibility for any errors in CPT that may arise as a result of CPT being used in conjunction with any software and/or hardware system that is not Year 2000 compliant. No fee schedules, basic unit, relative values or related listings are included in CPT. The AMA does not directly or indirectly practice medicine or dispense medical services. The responsibility for the content of this file/product is with Noridian Healthcare Solutions or the CMS and no endorsement by the AMA is intended or implied. The AMA disclaims responsibility for any consequences or liability attributable to or related to any use, non-use, or interpretation of information contained or not contained in this file/product.
CMS Disclaimer The scope of this license is determined by the AMA, the copyright holder. Any questions pertaining to the license or use of the CPT must be addressed to the AMA. End Users do not act for or on behalf of the CMS. The CMS DISCLAIMS RESPONSIBILITY FOR ANY LIABILITY ATTRIBUTABLE TO END USER USE OF THE CPT. The CMS WILL NOT BE LIABLE FOR ANY CLAIMS ATTRIBUTABLE TO ANY ERRORS, OMISSIONS, OR OTHER INACCURACIES IN THE INFORMATION OR MATERIAL CONTAINED ON THIS PAGE. In no event shall CMS be liable for direct, indirect, special, incidental, or consequential damages arising out of the use of such information or material.
This license will terminate upon notice to you if you violate the terms of this license. The AMA is a third-party beneficiary to this license.
LICENSE FOR USE OF "CURRENT DENTAL TERMINOLOGY", ("CDT")
End User/Point and Click Agreement
These materials contain Current Dental Terminology, (CDT), copyright © 2020 American Dental Association (ADA). All rights reserved. CDT is a trademark of the ADA.
1. Subject to the terms and conditions contained in this Agreement, you, your employees, and agents are authorized to use CDT only as contained in the following authorized materials and solely for internal use by yourself, employees and agents within your organization within the United States and its territories. Use of CDT is limited to use in programs administered by Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). You agree to take all necessary steps to ensure that your employees and agents abide by the terms of this agreement. You acknowledge that the ADA holds all copyright, trademark and other rights in CDT. You shall not remove, alter, or obscure any ADA copyright notices or other proprietary rights notices included in the materials.
2. Any use not authorized herein is prohibited, including by way of illustration and not by way of limitation, making copies of CDT for resale and/or license, transferring copies of CDT to any party not bound by this agreement, creating any modified or derivative work of CDT, or making any commercial use of CDT. License to use CDT for any use not authorized herein must be obtained through the American Dental Association, 211 East Chicago Avenue, Chicago, IL 60611. Applications are available at the American Dental Association web site, http://www.ADA.org .
3. Applicable Federal Acquisition Regulation Clauses (FARS)\Department of Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (DFARS) Restrictions Apply to Government use. Please click here to see all U.S. Government Rights Provisions .
4. ADA DISCLAIMER OF WARRANTIES AND LIABILITIES. CDT is provided "as is" without warranty of any kind, either expressed or implied, including but not limited to, the implied warranties of merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose. No fee schedules, basic unit, relative values or related listings are included in CDT. The ADA does not directly or indirectly practice medicine or dispense dental services. The sole responsibility for the software, including any CDT and other content contained therein, is with (insert name of applicable entity) or the CMS; and no endorsement by the ADA is intended or implied. The ADA expressly disclaims responsibility for any consequences or liability attributable to or related to any use, non-use, or interpretation of information contained or not contained in this file/product. This Agreement will terminate upon notice to you if you violate the terms of this Agreement. The ADA is a third-party beneficiary to this Agreement.
5. CMS DISCLAIMER. The scope of this license is determined by the ADA, the copyright holder. Any questions pertaining to the license or use of the CDT should be addressed to the ADA. End users do not act for or on behalf of the CMS. CMS DISCLAIMS RESPONSIBILITY FOR ANY LIABILITY ATTRIBUTABLE TO END USER USE OF THE CDT. CMS WILL NOT BE LIABLE FOR ANY CLAIMS ATTRIBUTABLE TO ANY ERRORS, OMISSIONS, OR OTHER INACCURACIES IN THE INFORMATION OR MATERIAL COVERED BY THIS LICENSE. In no event shall CMS be liable for direct, indirect, special, incidental, or consequential damages arising out of the use of such information or material.
LICENSE FOR NATIONAL UNIFORM BILLING COMMITTEE ("NUBC")
Point and Click American Hospital Association Copyright Notice
Copyright © 2021, the American Hospital Association, Chicago, Illinois. Reproduced with permission. No portion of the AHA copyrighted materials contained within this publication may be copied without the express written consent of the AHA. AHA copyrighted materials including the UB-04 codes and descriptions may not be removed, copied, or utilized within any software, product, service, solution or derivative work without the written consent of the AHA. If an entity wishes to utilize any AHA materials, please contact the AHA at 312-893-6816
Making copies or utilizing the content of the UB-04 Manual or UB-04 Data File, including the codes and/or descriptions, for internal purposes, resale and/or to be used in any product or publication; creating any modified or derivative work of the UB-04 Manual and/or codes and descriptions; and/or making any commercial use of UB-04 Manual / Data File or any portion thereof, including the codes and/or descriptions, is only authorized with an express license from the American Hospital Association.
To obtain comprehensive knowledge about the UB-04 codes, the Official UB-04 Data Specification Manual is available for purchase on the American Hospital Association Online Store . To license the electronic data file of UB-04 Data Specifications, contact AHA at (312) 893-6816. You may also contact AHA at [email protected] .
Consent to Monitoring
Warning: you are accessing an information system that may be a U.S. Government information system. If this is a U.S. Government information system, CMS maintains ownership and responsibility for its computer systems. Users must adhere to CMS Information Security Policies, Standards, and Procedures. For U.S. Government and other information systems, information accessed through the computer system is confidential and for authorized users only. By continuing beyond this notice, users consent to being monitored, recorded, and audited by company personnel. Unauthorized or illegal use of the computer system is prohibited and subject to criminal and civil penalties. The use of the information system establishes user's consent to any and all monitoring and recording of their activities.
Note: The information obtained from this Noridian website application is as current as possible. There are times in which the various content contributor primary resources are not synchronized or updated on the same time interval.
This warning banner provides privacy and security notices consistent with applicable federal laws, directives, and other federal guidance for accessing this Government system, which includes all devices/storage media attached to this system. This system is provided for Government authorized use only. Unauthorized or improper use of this system is prohibited and may result in disciplinary action and/or civil and criminal penalties. At any time, and for any lawful Government purpose, the government may monitor, record, and audit your system usage and/or intercept, search and seize any communication or data transiting or stored on this system. Therefore, you have no reasonable expectation of privacy. Any communication or data transiting or stored on this system may be disclosed or used for any lawful Government purpose.
Since 2011, we've helped more than 5 million people understand their Medicare coverage.

A PROPERTY OF HEALTHINSURANCE.ORG, LLC, A NON-GOVERNMENTAL ENTITY
- Medicare in your state
- Enrollment options by state
- Financial help by state
- Medicare Basics
- What is Medicare?
- History of Medicare
- Medicare and the ACA
- Plan Options
- Original Medicare
- Medicare Part A
- Medicare Part B
- Medicare Advantage
- Medicare Part D
- Enrollment and Eligibility
- Medicare Open Enrollment 2023 Guide
- How to enroll in Medicare
- Medicare enrollment deadlines
- Am I eligible for Medicare
- Changing your Medicare coverage
- Moving from ACA to Medicare
- How to choose Medicare coverage
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Medicare Surveys
- Get a quote
Please provide your zip code to see plans in your area.
Find Medicare plans that fit your needs. *
Get coverage now!
* By shopping with our third-party insurance agency partners. You may be contacted by a licensed insurance agent from an independent agency that is not connected with or endorsed by the federal Medicare program.
We do not offer every plan available in your area. Any information we provide is limited to those plans we do offer in your area. Please contact Medicare.gov or 1–800– MEDICARE to get information on all of your options.
Home > FAQs > What does it mean if your doctor doesn’t accept assignment?

What does it mean if your doctor doesn’t accept assignment?
Louise Norris | July 3, 2021
Related articles

How can I find a Medicare-assigned store to purchase an upright walker?
Medicare-assigned retailers agree to charge the Medicare-approved price for their products, and can't bill you for anything more than your Medicare deductible and coinsurance.

How do I enroll in Medicare?
Learn how and when to enroll in Original Medicare, Medicare Advantage, Medigap, and Part D coverage. Get plan information and a free quote today.

Important Medicare enrollment dates
Enrollment dates for Medicare are critical. Missing an enrollment date could cost you higher premiums down the line — or it could cost you coverage entirely.
Q: What does it mean if your doctor doesn’t accept assignment?
A: If your doctor doesn’t “accept assignment,” (ie, is a non-participating provider) it means he or she might see Medicare patients and accept Medicare reimbursement as partial payment, but wants to be paid more than the amount that Medicare is willing to pay.
As a result, you may end up paying the difference between what Medicare will pay and what your provider charges—up to 15% above the amount that participating providers are paid by Medicare, in addition to your normal deductible and coinsurance. (This additional 15% is known as a limiting charge ; states can impose a lower threshold, but it cannot exceed 15 percent.)
If your doctor doesn’t accept assignment, you may have to pay the entire bill upfront and seek reimbursement for the portion that Medicare will pay. If you have to seek reimbursement from Medicare, you’ll use Form CMS 1490-S .
Participating Medicare providers are those who have agreed to accept Medicare’s negotiated payments as payment in full for all Medicare services (this includes the patient’s deductible and coinsurance, as well as the portion that Medicare pays). In other words, they accept assignment for all services.
Non-participating providers don’t have to accept assignment for all Medicare services, but they may accept assignment for some individual services. If they accept assignment for a particular service, they can’t bill the patient for any additional amounts beyond the regular Medicare deductible and coinsurance, for that specific treatment.
Opting out of Medicare
Providers can go a step beyond non-participation, by opting out of Medicare altogether—although only a very small fraction of providers take this option. In that case, they have no contract at all with Medicare, leaving patients with potential exposure to higher out-of-pocket costs. If a Medicare enrollee sees a doctor who has opted out of Medicare, the patient is responsible for the full bill—the provider cannot bill Medicare, and Medicare will not reimburse the patient for any of the charges. Providers who have opted out of Medicare have to disclose this information to patients with Medicare.
Medicare publishes monthly reports showing which providers have opted out . The out-out period lasts for two years—after that, a provider can opt back in or can continue to opt-out; CMS currently uses an automatic renewal provision, so providers who have opted out can continue that approach without contacting CMS every two years.
Nationwide, more than 26,000 providers have “opted out” of Medicare as of 2021 . These providers can’t treat Medicare beneficiaries unless they enter into a private contract, with the patient agreeing to pay full price. Although only about 1% of providers have opted out of Medicare, 42% of those who have opted out are psychiatrists .
Louise Norris is an individual health insurance broker who has been writing about health insurance and health reform since 2006. She has written dozens of opinions and educational pieces about the Affordable Care Act for healthinsurance.org. Her state health exchange updates are regularly cited by media who cover health reform and by other health insurance experts.
Tags: accept assignment , billing
Related Articles
- Type 2 Diabetes
- Heart Disease
- Digestive Health
- Multiple Sclerosis
- COVID-19 Vaccines
- Occupational Therapy
- Healthy Aging
- Advil (Ibuprofen)
- Mobic (Meloxicam)
- Naprosyn (Naproxen)
- Neurontin (Gabapentin)
- Pepcid AC (Famotidine)
- Rayos (Prednisone)
- Health Insurance
- Public Health
- Patient Rights
- Health Technology
- Caregivers & Loved Ones
- End of Life Concerns
- Health News
- Thyroid Test Analyzer
- Doctor Discussion Guides
- Hemoglobin A1c Test Analyzer
- Lipid Test Analyzer
- Complete Blood Count (CBC) Analyzer
- What to Buy
- Editorial Process
- Meet Our Medical Expert Board
Medicare Assignment: Everything You Need to Know
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():format(webp)/NorrisNew-594990123df78c537b5178a2.jpg)
Nick Blackmer is a librarian, fact-checker, and researcher with more than 20 years’ experience in consumer-oriented health and wellness content.
Medicare Assignment
- Providers Accepting Assignment
- Providers Who Do Not
- Billing Options
- Assignment of Benefits
- How to Choose
Frequently Asked Questions
Medicare assignment is an agreement between Medicare and medical providers (doctors, hospitals, medical equipment suppliers, etc.) in which the provider agrees to accept Medicare’s fee schedule as payment in full when Medicare patients are treated.
This article will explain how Medicare assignment works, and what you need to know in order to ensure that you won’t receive unexpected bills.
fizkes / Getty Images
There are 35 million Americans who have Original Medicare. Medicare is a federal program and most medical providers throughout the country accept assignment with Medicare. As a result, these enrollees have a lot more options for medical providers than most of the rest of the population.
They can see any provider who accepts assignment, anywhere in the country. They can be assured that they will only have to pay their expected Medicare cost-sharing (deductible and coinsurance, some or all of which may be paid by a Medigap plan , Medicaid, or supplemental coverage provided by an employer or former employer).
It’s important to note here that the rules are different for the 29 million Americans who have Medicare Advantage plans. These beneficiaries cannot simply use any medical provider who accepts Medicare assignment.
Instead, each Medicare Advantage plan has its own network of providers —much like the health insurance plans that many Americans are accustomed to obtaining from employers or purchasing in the exchange/marketplace .
A provider who accepts assignment with Medicare may or may not be in-network with some or all of the Medicare Advantage plans that offer coverage in a given area. Some Medicare Advantage plans— health maintenance organizations (HMOs) , in particular—will only cover an enrollee’s claims if they use providers who are in the plan's network.
Other Medicare Advantage plans— preferred provider organizations (PPOs) , in particular—will cover out-of-network care but the enrollee will pay more than they would have paid had they seen an in-network provider.
Original Medicare
The bottom line is that Medicare assignment only determines provider accessibility and costs for people who have Original Medicare. People with Medicare Advantage need to understand their own plan’s provider network and coverage rules.
When discussing Medicare assignment and access to providers in this article, keep in mind that it is referring to people who have Original Medicare.
How to Make Sure Your Provider Accepts Assignment
Most doctors, hospitals, and other medical providers in the United States do accept Medicare assignment.

Provider Participation Stats
According to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, 98% of providers participate in Medicare, which means they accept assignment.
You can ask the provider directly about their participation with Medicare. But Medicare also has a tool that you can use to find participating doctors, hospitals, home health care services, and other providers.
There’s a filter on that tool labeled “Medicare-approved payment.” If you turn on that filter, you will only see providers who accept Medicare assignment. Under each provider’s information, it will say “Charges the Medicare-approved amount (so you pay less out-of-pocket).”
What If Your Provider Doesn’t Accept Assignment?
If your medical provider or equipment supplier doesn’t accept assignment, it means they haven’t agreed to accept Medicare’s approved amounts as payment in full for all of the services.
These providers can still choose to accept assignment on a case-by-case basis. But because they haven’t agreed to accept Medicare assignment for all services, they are considered nonparticipating providers.
Note that "nonparticipating" does not mean that a provider has opted out of Medicare altogether. Medicare will still pay claims for services received from a nonparticipating provider (i.e., one who does not accept Medicare assignment), whereas Medicare does not cover any of the cost of services obtained from a provider who has officially opted out of Medicare.
If a Medicare beneficiary uses a provider who has opted out of Medicare, that person will pay the provider directly and Medicare will not be involved in any way.
Physicians Who Have Opted Out
Only about 1% of all non-pediatric physicians have opted out of Medicare.
For providers who have not opted out of Medicare but who also don’t accept assignment, Medicare will still pay nearly as much as it would have paid if you had used a provider who accepts assignment. Here’s how it works:
- Medicare will pay the provider 95% of the amount they would pay if the provider accepted assignment.
- The provider can charge the person receiving care more than the Medicare-approved amount, but only up to 15% more (some states limit this further). This extra amount, which the patient has to pay out-of-pocket, is known as the limiting charge . But the 15% cap does not apply to medical equipment suppliers; if they do not accept assignment with Medicare, there is no limit on how much they can charge the person receiving care. This is why it’s particularly important to make sure that the supplier accepts Medicare assignment if you need medical equipment.
- The nonparticipating provider may require the person receiving care to pay the entire bill up front and seek reimbursement from Medicare (using Form CMS 1490-S ). Alternatively, they may submit a claim to Medicare on behalf of the person receiving care (using Form CMS-1500 ).
- A nonparticipating provider can choose to accept assignment on a case-by-case basis. They can indicate this on Form CMS-1500 in box 27. The vast majority of nonparticipating providers who bill Medicare choose to accept assignment for the claim being billed.
- Nonparticipating providers do not have to bill your Medigap plan on your behalf.
Billing Options for Providers Who Accept Medicare
When a medical provider accepts assignment with Medicare, part of the agreement is that they will submit bills to Medicare on behalf of the person receiving care. So if you only see providers who accept assignment, you will never need to submit your own bills to Medicare for reimbursement.
If you have a Medigap plan that supplements your Original Medicare coverage, you should present the Medigap coverage information to the provider at the time of service. Medicare will forward the claim information to your Medigap insurer, reducing administrative work on your part.
Depending on the Medigap plan you have, the services that you receive, and the amount you’ve already spent in out-of-pocket costs, the Medigap plan may pay some or all of the out-of-pocket costs that you would otherwise have after Medicare pays its share.
(Note that if you have a type of Medigap plan called Medicare SELECT, you will have to stay within the plan’s network of providers in order to receive benefits. But this is not the case with other Medigap plans.)
After the claim is processed, you’ll be able to see details in your MyMedicare.gov account . Medicare will also send you a Medicare Summary Notice. This is Medicare’s version of an explanation of benefits (EOB) , which is sent out every three months.
If you have a Medigap plan, it should also send you an EOB or something similar, explaining the claim and whether the policy paid any part of it.
What Is Medicare Assignment of Benefits?
For Medicare beneficiaries, assignment of benefits means that the person receiving care agrees to allow a nonparticipating provider to bill Medicare directly (as opposed to having the person receiving care pay the bill up front and seek reimbursement from Medicare). Assignment of benefits is authorized by the person receiving care in Box 13 of Form CMS-1500 .
If the person receiving care refuses to assign benefits, Medicare can only reimburse the person receiving care instead of paying the nonparticipating provider directly.
Things to Consider Before Choosing a Provider
If you’re enrolled in Original Medicare, you have a wide range of options in terms of the providers you can use—far more than most other Americans. In most cases, your preferred doctor and other medical providers will accept assignment with Medicare, keeping your out-of-pocket costs lower than they would otherwise be, and reducing administrative hassle.
There may be circumstances, however, when the best option is a nonparticipating provider or even a provider who has opted out of Medicare altogether. If you choose one of these options, be sure you discuss the details with the provider before proceeding with the treatment.
You’ll want to understand how much is going to be billed and whether the provider will bill Medicare on your behalf if you agree to assign benefits (note that this is not possible if the provider has opted out of Medicare).
If you have supplemental coverage, you’ll also want to check with that plan to see whether it will still pick up some of the cost and, if so, how much you should expect to pay out of your own pocket.
A medical provider who accepts Medicare assignment is considered a participating provider. These providers have agreed to accept Medicare’s fee schedule as payment in full for services they provide to Medicare beneficiaries. Most doctors, hospitals, and other medical providers do accept Medicare assignment.
Nonparticipating providers are those who have not signed an agreement with Medicare to accept Medicare’s rates as payment in full. However, they can agree to accept assignment on a case-by-case basis, as long as they haven’t opted out of Medicare altogether. If they do not accept assignment, they can bill the patient up to 15% more than the Medicare-approved rate.
Providers who opt out of Medicare cannot bill Medicare and Medicare will not pay them or reimburse beneficiaries for their services. But there is no limit on how much they can bill for their services.
A Word From Verywell
It’s in your best interest to choose a provider who accepts Medicare assignment. This will keep your costs as low as possible, streamline the billing and claims process, and ensure that your Medigap plan picks up its share of the costs.
If you feel like you need help navigating the provider options or seeking care from a provider who doesn’t accept assignment, the Medicare State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) in your state may be able to help.
A doctor who does not accept Medicare assignment has not agreed to accept Medicare’s fee schedule as payment in full for their services. These doctors are considered nonparticipating with Medicare and can bill Medicare beneficiaries up to 15% more than the Medicare-approved amount.
They also have the option to accept assignment (i.e., accept Medicare’s rate as payment in full) on a case-by-case basis.
There are certain circumstances in which a provider is required by law to accept assignment. This includes situations in which the person receiving care has both Medicare and Medicaid. And it also applies to certain medical services, including lab tests, ambulance services, and drugs that are covered under Medicare Part B (as opposed to Part D).
In 2021, 98% of American physicians had participation agreements with Medicare, leaving only about 2% who did not accept assignment (either as a nonparticipating provider, or a provider who had opted out of Medicare altogether).
Accepting assignment is something that the medical provider does, whereas assignment of benefits is something that the patient (the Medicare beneficiary) does. To accept assignment means that the medical provider has agreed to accept Medicare’s approved fee as payment in full for services they provide.
Assignment of benefits means that the person receiving care agrees to allow a medical provider to bill Medicare directly, as opposed to having the person receiving care pay the provider and then seek reimbursement from Medicare.
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Medicare monthly enrollment .
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Annual Medicare participation announcement .
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Lower costs with assignment .
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Find providers who have opted out of Medicare .
Kaiser Family Foundation. How many physicians have opted-out of the Medicare program ?
Center for Medicare Advocacy. Durable medical equipment, prosthetics, orthotics, and supplies (DMEPOS) updates .
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Check the status of a claim .
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Medicare claims processing manual. Chapter 26 - completing and processing form CMS-1500 data set .
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Ambulance fee schedule .
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Prescription drugs (outpatient) .
By Louise Norris Louise Norris has been a licensed health insurance agent since 2003 after graduating magna cum laude from Colorado State with a BS in psychology.
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts.
Medicare Assignment: Understanding How It Works
Medicare assignment is a term used to describe how a healthcare provider agrees to accept the Medicare-approved amount. Depending on how you get your Medicare coverage, it could be essential to understand what it means and how it can affect you.
Medicare Assignment: What is it?
Medicare sets a fixed cost to pay for every benefit they cover. This amount is called Medicare assignment.
You have the largest healthcare provider network with over 800,000 providers nationwide on Original Medicare . You can see any doctor nationwide that accepts Medicare.
Understanding the differences between your cost and the difference between accepting Medicare and accepting Medicare assignment could be worth thousands of dollars.

Doctors that accept Medicare
Your healthcare provider can fall into one of three categories:
Medicare participating provider and Medicare assignment
Medicare participating providers not accepting medicare assignment, medicare non-participating provider.
More than 97% of healthcare providers nationwide accept Medicare. Because of this, you can see almost any provider throughout the United States without needing referrals.
Let’s discuss the three categories the healthcare providers fall into.
Participating providers are doctors or healthcare providers who accept assignment. This means they will never charge more than the Medicare-approved amount.
Some non-participating providers accept Medicare but not Medicare assignment. This means you can see them the same way a provider accepts assignment.
You need to understand that since they don’t take the assignment, they can charge up to 15% more than the Medicare-approved amount.
Since Medicare will only pay the Medicare-approved amount, you’ll be responsible for these charges. The 15% overcharge is called an excess charge. A few states don’t allow or limit the amount or services of the excess charges. Only about 5% of providers charge excess charges.
Opt-out providers don’t accept Original Medicare, and these healthcare providers are in the minority in the United States. If healthcare providers don’t accept Medicare, they won’t be paid by Medicare.
This means choosing to see a provider that doesn’t accept Medicare will leave you responsible for 100% of what they charge you. These providers may be in-network for a Medicare Advantage plan in some cases.
Avoiding excess charges
Excess charges could be large or small depending on the service and the Medicare-approved amount. Avoiding these is easy. The simplest way is to ask your provider if they accept assignment before service.
If they say yes, they don’t issue excess charges. Or, on Medicare.gov , a provider search tool will allow you to look up your healthcare provider and show if they accept Medicare assignment or not.

Medicare Supplement and Medicare assignment
Medigap plans are additional insurance that helps cover your Medicare cost-share . If you are on specific plans, they’ll pay any extra costs from healthcare providers that accept Medicare but not Medicare assignment. Most Medicare Supplement plans don’t cover the excess charges.
The top three Medicare Supplement plans cover excess charges if you use a provider that accepts Medicare, but not Medicare assignment.
Medicare Advantage and Medicare assignment
Medicare assignment does not affect Medicare Advantage plans since Medicare Advantage is just another way to receive your Medicare benefits. Since your Medicare Advantage plan handles your healthcare benefits, they set the terms.
Most Medicare Advantage plans require you to use network providers. If you go out of the network, you may pay more. If you’re on an HMO, you’d be responsible for the entire charge of the provider not being in the network.
Where can I find doctors who accept Medicare assignment?
Medicare has a physician finder tool that will show if a healthcare provider participates in Medicare and accepts Medicare assignments. Most doctors nationwide do accept assignment and therefore don’t charge the Part B excess charges.
What is a Medicare assignment?
Accepting Medicare assignment means that the healthcare provider has agreed only to charge the amount Medicare has approved for procedures and services.
What does it mean if a doctor does not accept Medicare assignment?
The doctor can change more than the Medicare-approved amount for procedures and services. You could be responsible for up to a 15% excess charge.
How many doctors accept Medicare assignment?
About 97% of doctors agree to accept assignment nationwide.
Is accepting Medicare the same as accepting Medicare assignment?
No. If a doctor accepts Medicare and accepts Medicare assignment, they’ll take what Medicare approves as payment in full.
If they accept Medicare but not Medicare assignment, they can charge an excess charge of up to 15% above the Medicare-approved amount. You could be responsible for this excess charge.
What is the Medicare-approved amount?
The Medicare-approved amount is Medicare’s charge as the maximum for any given medical service or procedure. Medicare has set forth an approved amount for every covered item or service.
Can doctors balance bill patients?
Yes, if that doctor is a Medicare participating provider not accepting Medicare assignment. The provider may bill up to 15% more than the Medicare-approved amount.
What happens if a doctor does not accept Medicare?
Doctors that don’t accept Medicare will require you to pay their full cost when using their services. Since these providers are non-participating, Medicare will not pay or reimburse for any services rendered.
Get help avoiding Medicare Part B excess charges
Whether it’s Medicare assignment, or anything related to Medicare, we have licensed agents that specialize in this field standing by to assist.
Give us a call, or fill out our online request form . We are happy to help answer questions, review options, and guide you through the process.

Easy. Effective. Find coverage that's right for you.

CALL NOW (833) 972-1339
Learn more about Medicare’s new insulin benefit in the AARP Medicare Resource Center.
- AARP Medicare Question and Answer Tool
What is Medicare assignment and how does it work?
En español | Whether or not your doctors “accept assignment” determines how much you pay for their services.
Medicare decides how much to pay providers for covered services. Most doctors accept the Medicare-approved amount for services Medicare covers, even if it’s less than they usually charge. If the doctor agrees to the approved amount, he or she is accepting assignment.
A doctor who accepts assignment agrees to charge you no more than the amount Medicare has approved for that service. A doctor who participates in Medicare but doesn’t accept assignment can potentially charge you up to 15 percent more than the Medicare-approved amount.
When choosing new doctors, ask if they accept assignment before you receive care, even if they accept Medicare patients. If a doctor doesn’t accept assignment, you will pay more for that physician’s services compared with one who does.
How much do I pay if my doctor accepts assignment?
Because Medicare Part B covers doctor and outpatient services, your $233 deductible for Part B in 2022 applies before most coverage begins. If your doctor accepts assignment, then you generally pay 20 percent of the Medicare-approved amount for the service, called coinsurance, after you’ve paid the annual deductible.
All providers who accept assignment must submit claims directly to Medicare, which pays 80 percent of the approved cost for the service and will bill you the remaining 20 percent. You can get some preventive services and screenings, such as mammograms and colonoscopies, without paying a deductible or coinsurance if the provider accepts assignment.
What if my doctor doesn’t accept assignment?
A doctor who takes Medicare but doesn’t accept assignment can still treat Medicare patients but won’t always accept the Medicare-approved amount as payment in full. This means he or she can charge you up to a maximum of 15 percent more than Medicare pays for the service you receive. In this case, you’re responsible for the additional charge, plus the regular 20 percent coinsurance, as your share of the cost.
How to cover the extra cost? If you have a Medicare supplement policy , better known as Medigap, it may cover the extra 15 percent, called Medicare Part B excess charges.
All Medigap policies cover Part B’s 20 percent coinsurance in full or in part. The F and G policies cover the 15 percent excess charges from doctors who don’t accept assignment.
If you’re new to Medicare, you can’t buy Medicare supplement Plan F as of 2020. But if you turned 65 by the end of 2019, you may be able to even if you haven’t enrolled yet.
Everyone enrolled in original Medicare can apply for Plan G. Keep in mind that Medigap policies only cover excess charges for doctors who accept Medicare but don’t accept assignment and they won’t cover costs for doctors who opt out of Medicare entirely.
How do I find doctors who accept assignment?
Before you start working with a new doctor, ask whether he or she accepts assignment. About 97 percent of providers billing Medicare are participating providers, which means they accept assignment on all Medicare claims, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation.
You can get help finding doctors and other providers in your area who accept assignment by using Medicare’s Physician Compare tool . You can look up doctors and other clinicians near your zip code.
Those who accept assignment have this note under the name: “Charges the Medicare-approved amount (so you pay less out of pocket).” However, not all doctors who accept assignment are accepting new Medicare patients.
What does it mean if a doctor opts out of Medicare?
Doctors who opt out of Medicare can’t bill Medicare for services you receive. They also aren’t bound by Medicare’s limitations on charges.
In this case, you enter into a private contract with the provider and agree to pay the full bill. Be aware that neither Medicare nor your Medigap plan will reimburse you for these charges.
While most doctors participate in Medicare, others, such as some psychiatrists, opt out. A Kaiser Family Foundation study found that only 1 percent of physicians who weren’t pediatricians formally opted out of Medicare in 2022, but 7.5 percent of psychiatrists had opted out.
Differences in what you pay for doctors’ services
The three ways that physicians deal with Medicare can drastically affect what you spend on care.
Note: Doctors who don’t accept assignment receive a Medicare-approved amount that is 5 percent less than those who accept assignment.
Source: Medicare, California Health Advocates, AARP research
Keep in mind
These rules apply to original Medicare. Other factors determine costs if you choose to get coverage through a private Medicare Advantage plan . Most Medicare Advantage plans have provider networks, and they may charge more or not cover services from out-of-network providers.
Before choosing a Medicare Advantage plan, find out whether your chosen doctor or provider is covered and identify how much you’ll pay. You can use the Medicare Plan Finder to compare the Medicare Advantage plans and their out-of-pocket costs in your area.
Updated Sept. 2, 2022
More on Medicare
- Understanding Medicare’s options: Parts A, B, C and D
- What is a Medicare summary notice?
- How do I create an online Medicare account?
Return to Medicare Q&A main page
Search Medicare Q&A
Find the content you are looking for by entering in search terms below.
MEDICARE MADE EASY
What is Medicare?
New in 2022
What’s Not Covered
Common Mistakes
Reasons to Change Coverage
Today's Topics
- Changing filter Auto
- Changing filter Caregiving
- Changing filter Entertainment
- Changing filter Food
- Changing filter Health
- Changing filter Home & Family
- Changing filter Member Benefits
- Changing filter Money
- Changing filter Politics & Society
- Changing filter Retirement
- Changing filter Travel
- Changing filter Work
Latest Health News
You are leaving AARP.org and going to the website of our trusted provider. The provider’s terms, conditions and policies apply. Please return to AARP.org to learn more about other benefits.
Your email address is now confirmed.
You'll start receiving the latest news, benefits, events, and programs related to AARP's mission to empower people to choose how they live as they age.
You can also manage your communication preferences by updating your account at anytime. You will be asked to register or log in.
In the next 24 hours, you will receive an email to confirm your subscription to receive emails related to AARP volunteering. Once you confirm that subscription, you will regularly receive communications related to AARP volunteering. In the meantime, please feel free to search for ways to make a difference in your community at www.aarp.org/volunteer
Javascript must be enabled to use this site. Please enable Javascript in your browser and try again.
Hospital Billers.com
Improving your hospital revenue cycle, center for medicare advocacy.
admin / December 10, 2012 Leave a Comment
Articles and information on Medicare coverage
Share this:
Leave a reply cancel reply.
Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *
Notify me of follow-up comments by email.
Notify me of new posts by email.
Recent Posts
- E/M changes
- National Rural Health Center
- Clean Claim Rate (CCR) and First Pass Rate (FPR)
- IDN definition
- MCH sees major issues with Cerner medical record system conversion
Recent Comments
Text widget.
This is an example of a widget which can be used to describe a product or service. An example of a widget which can be used to describe a product or service. This is an example of a widget.
Image Credits

IMAGES
VIDEO
COMMENTS
Generally, a provider or supplier will be assigned to the Medicare Administrative Contractor (MAC) that covers the state where the provider or supplier is located. The Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services' (CMS) has defined the following approach for assigning providers, physicians, and suppliers to MACs. return to top
By accepting assignment, you agree to accept Medicare-allowed amounts as payment in full. You may not collect more from the patient than the Medicare deductible and coinsurance or copayment. Choose the situation that applies to you to find out what to do between mid-November and December 31 each year.
By accepting assignment, you agree to accept Medicare-allowed amounts as payment in full. You can't collect more from the patient than the Medicare deductible and coinsurance or copayment. The Social Security Act says you must submit patient Medicare claims whether you participate or not.
PARTICIPATING providers MUST accept assignment according to the terms of their contract. The contract itself states: "Meaning of Assignment - For purposes of this agreement, accepting assignment of the Medicare Part B payment means requesting direct Part B payment from the Medicare program.
program to accept assignment of the Medicare Part B payment for all services for which the participant is eligible to accept assignment under the Medicare law and regulations and which are furnished while this agreement is in effect. 1. Meaning of Assignment: For purposes of this agreement, accepting assignment of the Medicare Part B
A physician's Medicare assignment rate is one measure of his or her willingness to participate in the Medicare program. The assignment rate reflects the proportion of services provided to Medicare beneficiaries for which the physician accepts the Medicare reasonable fee as payment in full.
Accept assignment - Field 27 of cms 1500 Item 27 Check the appropriate block to indicate whether the provider of service or supplier accepts assignment of Medicare benefits. If Medigap is indicated in item 9 and Medigap payment authorization is given in item 13, the provider of service or supplier shall also be a Medicare
This is called "accepting assignment." If a provider accepts assignment, it's for all Medicare-covered Part A and Part B services. Using a provider that accepts assignment Most doctors, providers, and suppliers accept assignment, but always check to make sure that yours do. If your doctor, provider, or supplier accepts assignment:
PARTICIPATING providers MUST accept assignment according to the terms of their contract. The contract itself states: "Meaning of Assignment - For purposes of this agreement, accepting assignment of the Medicare Part B payment means requesting direct Part B payment from the Medicare program.
Medicare assignment is a fee schedule agreement between Medicare and a doctor. Accepting assignment means your doctor agrees to the payment terms of Medicare. Doctors who accept Medicare are either a participating doctor, non-participating doctor, or they opt-out. When it comes to Medicare's network, it's defined in one of three ways.
1. Meaning of Assignment - For purposes of this agreement, accepting assignment of the Medicare Part B payment means requesting direct Part B payment from the Medicare program. Under an assignment, the approved charge, determined by the MAC/carrier, shall be the full charge for the service covered under Part B.
30.1 - ASC X12 837 Professional/Form CMS -1500 COB (Rev. 2906, Issued: 03-14-14, Effective: 04-14-14, Implementation 04-14-14) Participating physicians/practitioners and suppliers sign an agreement with Medicare to accept assignment of Medicare benefits for all Medicare patients. A claim for which a beneficiary elects to assign his/her
Assignment is a written agreement between beneficiaries, their physicians or other suppliers, and Medicare. The beneficiary agrees to let the physician/supplier request direct payment from Medicare for covered Part B services, equipment, and supplies by assigning the claim to the physician/supplier.
Accepting assignment on a Medicare claim can be a definite advantage to both the physician/supplier and the beneficiary. The Medicare claim itself constitutes a legal agreement between the physician/supplier and the beneficiary which carries specific terms with it that must be observed.
A: If your doctor doesn't "accept assignment," (ie, is a non-participating provider) it means he or she might see Medicare patients and accept Medicare reimbursement as partial payment, but wants to be paid more than the amount that Medicare is willing to pay. As a result, you may end up paying the difference between what Medicare will ...
Assignment of benefits is authorized by the person receiving care in Box 13 of Form CMS-1500 . If the person receiving care refuses to assign benefits, Medicare can only reimburse the person receiving care instead of paying the nonparticipating provider directly. 8 Things to Consider Before Choosing a Provider
Medicare assignment is a term used to describe how a healthcare provider agrees to accept the Medicare-approved amount. Depending on how you get your Medicare coverage, it could be essential to understand what it means and how it can affect you. Medicare Assignment: What is it? Medicare sets a fixed cost to pay for every benefit they cover.
All providers who accept assignment must submit claims directly to Medicare, which pays 80 percent of the approved cost for the service and will bill you the remaining 20 percent. You can get some preventive services and screenings, such as mammograms and colonoscopies, without paying a deductible or coinsurance if the provider accepts assignment.
I selected to Accept Assignment, but the payer sent payment to the client. First, you should look at the client's insurance card in the application and verify that Signature on File is checked . This relates to Box 13 on the CMS-1500 and indicates if the client authorizes payment to your clinics.
Changes coming in 2021 2020 looks to be a transition year on the payment front, as many programs and changes expected to go into effect this year have been delayed until 2021. These include new CMS-created primary care models and a streamlining of evaluation and management level-of-care coding. CMS announced in October its newest alternative […]