A doctor who accepts Medicare Assignment agrees to which of the following?

• A. Doctor may bill the patient any amount
• B. Doctor cannot charge more than Medicare's scheduled coverage
• C. Doctor must accept assignment but may bill excess
• D. Doctor cannot bill for coinsurance

Answer: (B)

Medicare Assignment means the doctor agrees to be paid by Medicare at Medicare’s approved rate for services covered, and to accept that amount as full payment. Because of this, the physician cannot bill the patient more than Medicare’s approved amount for those covered services, so there is no excess charge for the covered part of the visit. The patient remains responsible for the deductible and coinsurance, and the provider may collect those amounts from the patient. Non-covered services can be billed separately to the patient. This is why the correct understanding is that the doctor cannot charge more than Medicare’s scheduled (approved) amount for covered services.