Medicare excess charges or the Part B excess charges are defined to be those costs that are taken by some doctor or some healthcare institute from the Medicare beneficiaries on receiving some specific treatment. The charges are called extra charges because normally these charges are not taken from the people who have enrolled themselves in Medicare Part B. it is essential to get Medicare Part A or Part B to get medication and hospice facilities on behalf of Medicare. Once you are enrolled and you visit the doctor for some ailment, all your expenses will be taken care of by Medicare.
It gives a very comfortable feeling to the beneficiaries that Medicare is taking care of all their expenses while they are enjoying the treatment. However, they have to pay an annual premium as well to enjoy these facilities. The doctors who do not charge you any extra fee on getting checked on behalf of Medicare are said to be following the Medicare assignment while those who charge extra do not. They are allowed only to charge 15% more of the original rates for treatment.
This practice however is not very common as most of the doctors are those who abide by the rules set by Medicare and they provide treatment and facilities to the beneficiaries within the costs set by Medicare. According to a rough estimation, there are around 5% doctors who charge you with excess charges while the other do not. So you are advised to visit that doctor who is happy with the rates set by medicare and is willing to give you the treatment within these limits. Since you yourself will be paying extra charges of 15%, therefore it is important to know all the doctors of your field who are and who are not willing to take you in within the Medicare limits.
To save yourself from getting in trouble of excess charges, the best thing to do is to ask whether the doctor accepts Medicare assignment or not. If he does, it’s good for you, else you can consult some other specialist of the field. Remember to ask specifically about Medicare assignment not just Medicare as the terms can be confusing and as there are doctors who take in your Medicare and still charge the excess. So keep alert and be specific in choosing the doctors.