Medicare has been improving its paperless billing options, and you can now choose to receive your Medicare Summary Notices and the Medicare & You handbook electronically. If you pay your own Part B premiums because you aren’t yet on Social Security, you can arrange automatic payments. Paperless options for Medicare Advantage, Part D plans, and Medigap plans vary depending on which insurance company issues the policy.
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How Do I Go Paperless With Medicare?
Medicare traditionally sends its handbooks and notices through the mail. If you’re satisfied receiving your Medicare information and other documentation to your mailbox, you can continue to do so.
However, you can also track your claims and notices online by accessing Medicare online. You can sign up for free and create an account at MyMedicare.gov.Once you’ve set up your account, there are three major resources you can take advantage of:
- eMSN
- Medicare & You
- Automatic premium payments
Speaking of payments; you can make your monthly premium payments online in two different ways. First, there’s Medicare Easy Pay. This free service will automatically deduct your premium from your checking or savings account each month. To set it up, you must mail an authorization form to Medicare. Your second option is through your online bank.
Automatic payments are optional. Keep in mind that you can still pay your Medicare premiums by mailing in a check, money order, or credit card information. Automatic payment is also an alternative for Medigap, Part D, and Medicare Advantage. Each insurance company has its own system for automatic payments and electronic access to benefit statements and information about plan rules and benefits. In many cases, you can have your other Medicare premiums deducted automatically from your Social Security payment.
Can I Get My Monthly Medicare Premium Bill Electronically?
While you can pay your premium online, there’s no way to get your monthly premium statements electronically. On the other hand, you’ll get a hard copy of your Medicare Premium Bill (CMS-500) through the mail. Although it’s called a bill, it’s technically a statement outlining your charges.
In fact, the notice indicates it’s not a bill. Medicare mails the statement around the tenth of every month.
Medicare Paperless Options
Beneficiaries can view certain documents by computer or phone. Let’s explore more about these electronic documents.
Electronic Medicare Summary Notices
Instead of receiving notices in the mail every three months, you can opt for a monthly email with a secure link to your Electronic Medicare Summary Notices (eMSN). The monthly eMSN makes it easier to track claims, deductibles, and costs.
Because it comes out more frequently than the paper statement, the eMSN helps you catch billing mistakes quickly and prevent fraud.
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Medicare & You Handbook in Paperless Formats
The Medicare & You handbook is a thick volume that arrives in your mailbox every fall. This handbook gives you a variety of information on topics such as Medicare costs, financial assistance, protecting yourself from fraud, and more. Now you can access them anytime in various formats, both in English and Spanish.
If you have a computer or mobile device, you can download the handbook as a PDF or eBook in three different formats. It’s compatible with iPads, Nooks, Sony eReaders, and more. For individuals who don’t have access to computers, you can call Medicare directly or request an audio CD.
The electronic version has a few advantages over the paper one:
- It’s less bulky to store.
- Information is more current because it is updated throughout the year. The paper version is only updated once a year.
- You can access the electronic version on a mobile device wherever you are.
Managing Your Medicare Paperless Options
There are more paperless options for managing your Medicare benefits than ever before. When setting up paperless billing and automatic payments; be aware that it may be a couple of months before the automatic deductions start.
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Jagger,
You keep telling people they can turn off the paper bill. You can set up auto debit so you don’t have to do anything, but you cannot turn off the paper bill. If you know how to do it, please be more specific. I cannot find a place with any options at all.
Steve, You can pay your bill online through your MyMedicare account. However, at this time, you cannot eliminate the monthly statement sent via physical mail.
Hi Lindsay,
Like the other people, I’d like to have the monthly Medicare Premium Bill be sent electronically rather than as a paper statement. I’ve already gone to the Communications Preferences page on medicare.gov and signed up for electronic delivery of eMSNs and to get Medicare Emails, but there is no option to select e-mail for the Medicare Premium Bill statement. Is there somewhere else to set that up?
Thanks,
David
Leave it up to the Government to send me a statement that says “Medicare Premium Bill” and on the same page says “This is not a bill” LOL
Hello:
I too am trying to get my Medicare Premium Bill paperless.
You are directing us to request this through Mymedicare.gov, however, the account settings on that site only allows you to go paperless for the yearly handbook and eMSNs (Electronic Medicare Summary Notices)
There is no functionality to select paperless for Medicare Premium Bills.
Any idea for how to go paperless on Medicare Premium Bills?
Hi G! You can sign up for paperless billing for your Part B premium through Medicare Easy Pay.
Lindsay….
Although the payments are made via Medicare Easy Pay – there is *still* a monthly statement (This Is Not a Bill) delivered via USPS to the mailing address. This wastes $$$ (postage, paper, printing, etc.)
The question is – with everything else that can be received “paperless” from Medicare – how can the monthly (This Is Not a Bill) statements be delivered electronically and not physically via USPS mail?
Hi, Skip! You should be able to select electronic delivery via email for the monthly statements through your MyMedicare account. This option would be in a separate area outside where you set up easy pay.
I have set up all my Medicare premiums(including supplements) to be auto pay. However I continue to receive a statement from Medicare that states “ This is not a bill”. How do I eliminate that statement?
Hi Randy! You can sign up for paperless statements within your MyMedicare account.
I also would like to go totally paperless, but I get a medicare premium bill in the mail.
Hi Teri! Have you created an account on MyMedicare.gov yet? That’s where you should be able to select paperless billing.
I want to pay my Medicare part B on line and get the Bill on line as well. I notice it fluctuates by a few dollars each time so I can’t set up automatic payments through my checking account. Why is it that we can’t receive our bills on line?
Hi Jill! So, your Part B premium should not fluctuate from month to month. I would call Medicare directly to get this issue resolved. I would probably set up the automatic payment through your MyMedicare account vs through your online banking. That way, Medicare debits your account directly.
Why do I have to get a paper bill in the mail for my Medicare premium? This is the 21st century. I don’t want autopay just a paperless bill. Will I always have to get a paper bill?
Hi Jay! Automatic payments are optional — you can sign up for a monthly eMSNs and still pay your Medicare premiums by mailing in a check, money order or credit card information.