What is a Medicare summary notice?

Kimberly Lankford,

AARP

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En español

Published June 28, 2022

/ Updated July 23, 2024

In this story

Not a bill • Three kinds of MSNs • Recordkeeping • Go electronic • Also known as

A Medicare summary notice (MSN) is a quarterly statement showing your Medicare Part A and Part B health care coverage claims. If you have original Medicare, you probably recognize it as your health care statement noting providers and hospitals you’ve seen because they send their bills for your care directly to Medicare. The big distinction here is that this is not a bill.

Instead, your MSN shows the services and supplies billed to the program the previous quarter as well as how much Medicare paid and the maximum amount you owe a provider. It’s similar to an explanation of benefits (EOB) notice you receive from private health insurance companies.

If you prefer to see your activity every month, you can sign up for electronic MSNs (eMSNs). You can also review your claims for parts A and B in your online account within 24 hours without having to wait for your MSN.

Like any other medical form, even though your MSN is not a bill, you should still review it carefully. It can help you keep track of the care you’ve received and monitor your out-of-pocket costs. It also can help you spot errors — and even instances of fraud — on your Medicare account.

How do I read the Medicare summary notice?

There are three kinds of Medicare summary notices — Medicare Part A, Part B and durable medical equipment — with different information about claims and appeals.

All Medicare summary notices include:

A list of services
Claim approvals
How to appeal denied claims info
Appeal filing deadlines
How to get help filing an appeal info
Appeal form (last page)

Part A Medicare summary notice

This MSN identifies coverage for inpatient care in a hospital or skilled nursing facility, certain home health care services and end-of-life hospice care. It contains:

Service dates at each facility
If the claim was approved
What Medicare paid and what you owe
What you’ve paid toward your Part A deductible during that benefit period, including the date the benefit period began and how many days you’ve used

For more information, see the Part A MSN example at Medicare.gov.

screen capture of a Medicare summary notice for Part A

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services

Part B Medicare summary notice

This MSN identifies coverage for diagnostic tests, doctors’ services, ambulance transportation and other outpatient costs. It contains:

Dates and services received from each provider
If the claim was approved
What Medicare paid and what you owe
What you’ve paid toward your Part B deductible

For more information, see the Part B MSN example at Medicare.gov.

screen capture of page 3 of a Medicare summary notice for part B

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services

The durable medical equipment summary notice

This MSN identifies coverage for any necessary medical equipment you may have used during a benefit period. While Part B covers durable medical equipment, it has a separate MSN. It contains:

Equipment supplier and date ordered
Equipment description
If the claim was approved
What Medicare paid and what you owe

See an example of a durable medical equipment MSN at Medicare.gov.

What should I do with a Medicare summary notice?

Review the notice to confirm the facilities, providers and services you received. Also compare the information on your MSN with bills, receipts and statements from health care providers and contact them if you see any discrepancies. This happens. If a medical provider didn’t submit a claim correctly, ask the provider to resubmit it to Medicare.

If Medicare didn’t pay a claim you believe should be covered, you have the right to appeal. The back of the Medicare summary notice provides instructions on how to appeal the claim denial.

Keep the notices handy, at least until your providers send you a bill for their services. It will help you track Medicare payments.

If you’re claiming a deduction for medical expenses on your income taxes, you can use the Medicare summary notices to document your expenses. Keep them as tax records for at least three years after the tax-filing deadline, which is how long the IRS has to initiate an audit.

How do I sign up for an eMSN?

Start by creating an online Medicare account. Go to My messages at the top | Get your Medicare Summary Notices (MSNs) electronically | Go Paperless. This opens the My communication preferences page, where you’ll see Change eMSN preference. Select Yes, then Submit.

If you choose an eMSN, you’ll get an email when your summary notice appears in your account every month; you’ll no longer receive mailed copies every three months.

Keep in mind

Different name, same purpose. If you have coverage through a private insurer’s Medicare Advantage plan, instead of original Medicare, you’ll get an explanation of benefits (EOB) notice from your MA plan, not Medicare.

If you have Part D prescription drug coverage, you’ll get an EOB from your drug plan each month in which you fill a prescription. It lists your prescription drug claims and costs.

Other insurers have EOBs. You’ll also receive an EOB statement from any insurer that provides you additional coverage, such as a dental plan, an employer, a Medicare supplement plan like Medigap, a retiree health plan or other health insurance provider.

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Kimberly Lankford is a contributing writer who covers Medicare and personal finance. She wrote about insurance, Medicare, retirement and taxes for more than 20 years at Kiplinger’s Personal Finance and has written for The Washington Post and Boston Globe. She received the personal finance Best in Business award from the Society of American Business Editors and Writers and the New York State Society of CPAs’ excellence in financial journalism award for her guide to Medicare.