What Is Medicare Assignment?
Short answer
Medicare assignment means a provider or supplier agrees to accept the Medicare-approved amount as full payment for a covered Original Medicare service or item, apart from the beneficiary’s applicable deductible and coinsurance.
Coverage
Participating providers accept assignment for all Medicare-covered services. Some nonparticipating enrolled providers may choose assignment case by case.
Not Automatic
Assignment does not mean the service itself is covered; the service still has to meet Medicare benefit and medical-necessity rules.
Costs And Ma
Assignment is an Original Medicare billing concept. Medicare Advantage uses plan contracts, network rules and plan cost sharing instead.
Practical Example
If a participating physician bills a covered Part B service, the physician accepts the Medicare-approved amount rather than setting an unlimited additional charge.
Questions to verify
- Does the provider accept Medicare?
- Do they accept assignment for this service?
- Is the service itself Medicare-covered?