How and When to File a Claim for Medicare Payment
As a Medicare beneficiary, you should rarely need to file a claim for services or supplies that Medicare covers. By law, doctors and suppliers are required to file claims for Medicare covered services.
One situation that you may need to file is when your provider or supplier has not submitted a claim and it is getting close to the time limit for filing a Medicare claim. The time limit for filing a claim to Medicare is 12 months from the date of service. If your claim is getting old and you find Medicare has not received a claim, you should first contact your provider and ask them to file a claim. Then, if they do not submit a claim for you, you should submit a claim yourself.
The CMS-1490S Form, Patient's Request for Medicare Payment, is used by all Medicare beneficiaries and can be used to file claims for Part B and Durable Medical Equipment (DME) claims. The form with instructions is found on the CMS website. If you are filing a claim for a durable medical supply, choose the link for the CMS 1490S-English Instructions-DME or Spanish Instructions-DME. The instructions include the correct address to send your claim to. The form can be found on the CMS website by clicking the link below.
If you have questions about filing a Medicare claim, you can call our toll-free Customer Service Line at 800-833-4455, Monday through Friday, from 8:30 a.m. until 7:00 p.m. ET. For the hearing impaired, call TTY/TDD at 877-566-3572. This line is for the hearing impaired with the appropriate dial-up service and is available during the same hours Customer Service Representatives are available.