Reminder: Revised Form CMS-R-131 Advance Beneficiary Notice of Noncoverage

Beginning March 3, 2008 and prior to March 1, 2009, contractors would have accepted either the current ABN-G and ABN-L or the revised ABN as valid notification. However, beginning March 1, 2009, Medicare contractors will accept only a properly executed revised ABN (CMS R-131) as valid notification.

Some key features of the new form are that it:

• Has a new official title, the “Advance Beneficiary Notice of Noncoverage (ABN)”, in order to more clearly convey the purpose of the notice
• Replaces both the existing ABN-G and ABN-L
• May also be used for voluntary notifications, in place of the Notice of Exclusion from Medicare Benefits (NEMB)
• Has a mandatory field for cost estimates of the items/services at issue
• Includes a new beneficiary option, under which an individual may choose to receive an item/service, and pay for it out-of-pocket, rather than have a claim submitted to Medicare

Questions about the new ABN may be sent to RevisedABN_ODF@cms.hhs.gov.