Historical February 1983 Medicare notice. Original enrollment dates, insurance provisions, contacts and claim instructions describe that period and are not present-day guidance.
Companies charging fees for submitting bills to Medicare are making a profit from services the federal government performs free.
A company in St. Louis is currently offering to help people submit Medicare and other insurance claims for a fee of $50 per year plus 10 percent of the medical bill.
This is quite an exorbitant fee for a service offered without charge at any Social Security office.
Although the service alleges it is “more successful” at getting money out of Medicare, no private company has access to any “inside” information that would allow them to obtain “more money” from Medicare than any private citizen can get on his or her own.
There appears to be nothing illegal about this offer. Consumers might be misled, though, if they think submitting bills to Medicare is complicated or expensive.
It is relatively easy to submit bills to Medicare for reimbursement.
All a person needs is an itemized bill from the doctor showing the doctor’s name and address, date of treatment, illness of patient, and what services or treatment was done for the patient.
They attach the bill to a request for payment that shows the patient’s name, address, Medicare claim number, and illness for which they were treated.
This process can be completed at any Social Security office.
From now through the end of March is the general enrollment period for the medical insurance part of Medicare. People who passed up the chance for this protection, or who had it and dropped out, can again sign up. Protection will start July 1, 1983.
The premium will be deducted from their Social Security checks before they receive it.
If someone is not currently receiving a Social Security check, a separate quarterly billing will be mailed to them. Medical insurance complements the hospital insurance part of Medicare. Hospital insurance helps pay for medically necessary inpatient hospital care and certain followup care in a skilled nursing facility or at home. Medical insurance helps pay for doctor’s services including surgical services, diagnostic tests and X-rays that are part of the treatment, medical supplies furnished in the doctor’s office, services of the office nurse, and drugs that are given as part of the treatment and which cannot be self-administered. Medical insurance also covers outpatient hospital services received for diagnosis and treatment and other services and supplies not covered by hospital insurance.
For more information about Medicare, contact the Kingshighway Social Security office.
The telephone number is 678-7800.
Originally published in The Neighborhood Paper, February 1983.
Read this article in the original newspaper issue.
Original source: SD_Times1983_02.pdf, printed page(s) 2; PDF page(s) 2.
