For a patient whose Medicare is the primary payer, which notice is used to inform about potential out-of-pocket costs for non-covered services?

• A. Advance Beneficiary Notice
• B. Explanation of Benefits
• C. Privacy Notice
• D. Billing Statement

Answer: (A)

Advance Beneficiary Notice is used to inform the patient about potential out-of-pocket costs for services that Medicare may not cover. It must be provided before the service is rendered when there’s a possibility Medicare will deny or pay less than the charge. The notice explains that the patient may be responsible for all or part of the bill and gives the patient a choice to proceed and accept the potential charge or to decline the service. This pre-notification helps ensure the patient understands potential financial responsibilities in advance. After services are processed, explanations of benefits, privacy notices, and billing statements serve different purposes: the Explanation of Benefits shows what Medicare paid and the patient’s remaining responsibility after the fact, the Privacy Notice outlines how health information is used, and the Billing Statement is the bill issued to the patient.