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Belief 15
“If a doctor takes Medicare patients, the doctor can’t charge more than Medicare’s approved amount.”
True or false?
Correct!
Not quite.
Most doctors “accept assignment,” which means they take Medicare’s approved amount as full payment. A smaller group treats Medicare patients without accepting assignment. In Original Medicare they are allowed to bill up to 15 percent above the approved amount, and the patient pays the difference on top of the usual 20 percent. Some states restrict this. One question at the front desk settles it: “Do you accept Medicare assignment?”