By: Heidi Eisner

With Open Enrollment in full swing, you may have chosen to change your plan for one that better meets your needs.  Your current plan or new one you choose will be effective January 1, 2025.  Prior to January 1, you will want to make sure everything has been billed correctly and covered according to your current plan.  If you have not reviewed your billing information on these statements, this is a good time to do that.  Once you review your statements you should keep them, at least for one year so you are able to reference back to them.    If you are like me, you look at the pile of paperwork and think, “There has to be a way to cut down on all this paper?” Medicare offers an effective way to cut down on paperwork.

Medicare Summary Notices (MSN) are mailed to beneficiaries every three months if you have had any medical services or supplies.  This document can have 12+ pages depending on how many times that Medicare was billed.  On Medicare.gov you can create an account, and it will allow you to see your billing/MSN instead of waiting for it to come in the mail.  It will cut down on the paperwork as well as allowing you to see your billing sooner.

You don’t have to wait to get your Medicare information in the mail

You can create a secure Medicare account at Medicare.gov/account and sign up for electronic MSNs. Every month you have claims, you’ll get an email with a secure link to your electronic MSN. You can also sign up to get the “Medicare & You” electronic handbook. The online version is updated throughout the year, so you’ll always have the most up-to-date information. It’s also searchable, and you can view it anywhere you take your electronic device (like at your doctor’s office). If you need to save, print, or share Medicare information with a trusted representative (like a close family member), you’ll have control over that information with your online account.

Access your Medicare information anytime with a secure Medicare account

Your secure online Medicare account lets you access your Medicare documents around the clock. Browse your Medicare Summary Notices, track your claims faster, and get important updates, all in one secure place. Scan the QR code below or visit Medicare.gov to create your secure Medicare account any time after you have your Medicare Number. If you already have a Medicare.gov account, just log in. Once logged in to your Medicare.gov account, go to “My Account Settings” and change your handbook delivery preference to “Electronically” and your Medicare Summary Notices (claims information) to “Electronic.” Visit Medicare.gov/go-digital for more information and cut the clutter today.

Information provided by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS); https://www.cms.gov/training-education/partner-outreach-resources/partner-cms/medicare-electronic-adoption-toolkit