How to file a medicare claim!

You should take the following steps if your Doctor or Supplier does not file the Medicare claim in a timely manner:

Step 1 - Contact Your Physician or Supplier: Call your physician or supplier directly and ask the physician or supplier to file a Medicare claim.

Step 2 - Contact 1-800-Medicare: If your physician or supplier still does not file a Medicare claim after you have called and asked, you should call 1-800-Medicare (1-800-633-4227). Also ask 1-800-Medicare for the exact time limit for filing a Medicare claim for the service or supply that you received.

IMPORTANT: There is a time limit for filing a Medicare claim. If a claim is not filed within this time limit, Medicare cannot pay you its share. The time limit may be as short as 15 months or as long as 27 months depending on when you received the service or supply. It is important that you ask 1-800-Medicare what the time limit is for filing your claim.

Step 3 - When You Should File a Claim: You should only need to file a Medicare claim in very rare situations. You should only file a Medicare claim yourself when:

you have completed steps 1 and 2 above; AND

the physician or supplier still has not filed the Medicare claim; AND

it is close to the time limit for filing your Medicare claim. (For example, if your time limit is 15 months, you should consider filing a Medicare claim if the physician or supplier has not filed the Medicare claim 12 months after you received the service or supply).

Filing the Claim Yourself

You will need to print out and complete the form called Patient’s Request for Medical Payment, Form CMS 1490S. The form is available for download on cms.hhs.gov in the CMS Forms section. Once there, you will need to do three things: (1) print out the 1490S form; (2) select and print out the applicable instructions; and (3) review all of the information on this page about how to file a claim form.

I will try to post a copy of the form you need to print out and submit to Medicare. Good luck with your cliaim.


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