When must an Advanced Beneficiary Notice be provided?

• A. After Services Have Begun
• B. Before Services Have Begun
• C. At Discharge
• D. On Admission

Answer: (B)

The timing of an Advanced Beneficiary Notice is the key idea: it must be given before the service is performed when there’s a reasonable chance Medicare won’t cover it. The ABN tells the patient that Medicare may not pay, and it lets them decide whether to proceed and pay out-of-pocket or to decline.

Because the notice informs a decision that must be made prior to receiving the service, it cannot be provided after the service has begun, at discharge, or on admission. For example, if a test might not be covered by Medicare, the provider should issue the ABN before performing the test so the patient can choose how to proceed.