The ABCs of ABNs

Confused about the various Beneficiary Notices? You are not alone. Nursing facility beneficiary residents are required to be issued Beneficiary Notices prior to the delivery of any items or services that may not be covered by Medicare. In addition, beneficiaries are also to be notified, in some circumstance, before ending any Medicare-covered services.

To comply with these regulations, CMS has developed various forms. The forms are very specific about when they must be issued and to whom they must be issued to, thus the confusion. Compliance with the Beneficiary Notices is also now a mandated task for all nursing facility surveys.

• Get an overview of regulatory requirements related to Beneficiary Notices
• Identify the intent of the Beneficiary Notices
• Differentiate between the various forms, when they are given and to whom they are given.
• Understand how compliance of beneficiary notices will be reviewed in the survey process.