Glossary of Terms

Advance Beneficiary Notice (ABN) - A written notice given to a patient by a physician, provider or supplier in advance of any service that Medicare may not consider covered.

Billing Account Number – The account number of the Billing Addressee (Guarantor) assigned to receive the bill. Refer to this number when contacting Mayo Clinic with questions.

Billing Addressee (Guarantor) – The person designated to receive the monthly billing statements. This person can coordinate the billing, payment and insurance coverage for the account.

Explanation of Benefits (EOB) - A statement provided to the insured by an insurance company explaining how they processed and paid the claim.

Itemized Statement of Charges - This is a detail of services and charges for a specific visit.

Mayo Clinic Number – The patient's personal identification number.

Mayo Contracted Services - Patient services when Mayo has a contract with a specific insurance company, to accept a contractually set amount for these medical services.

Medicare Advantage Plan - A plan offered by a private company which contracts with Medicare to provide a patient with all their Medicare Part A and Part B benefits. In most cases, Medicare Advantage Plans also offer Medicare prescription drug coverage. There are various types of Medicare Advantage Plans, including HMO, PPO and Private Fee-for-Service plans.

Medicare Assignment - An agreement with Medicare to accept the Medicare-approved amount of payment.

Medicare Summary Notice - A statement provided to Medicare patients by Medicare explaining how a claim was processed and paid.

Monthly Statement of Account- This is the Mayo Clinic bill.

Primary Insurance Company - The insurance company with first responsibility for the payment of the claim.

Secondary Insurance Company - The insurance company responsible for processing the claim after the primary insurance determination of benefits.

Supplemental Insurance - An additional insurance policy that processes claims after Medicare has determined reimbursement.

Visit Number – A number assigned to identify each episode of care. The number is used to track services and payments.