I have both Medicare and a private supplemental insurance policy. I am being billed by the Medicare providers in addition to the 20 percent my insurance pays. Is this legal? If the providers accept Medicare consignment, under what circumstances am I liable for excess charges?

“Assignment” means providers have agreed to accept — or must by law accept — the amount that Medicare has approved for a particular service, said Scott Wilson, a health insurance specialist with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.

Doctors who enter assignment agreements with Medicare are considered “participating providers,” and those who don’t are “non-participating providers” — though they may choose to accept assignment for individual services, he said.

Out-of-pocket costs for Medicare beneficiaries may be less at participating providers because they’ve agreed to charge only the Medicare deductible and coinsurance amount, Wilson said. Non-participating providers may require full payment at the time of service, he said.

Additionally, Wilson said, participating providers hold off on charging beneficiaries until after Medicare has paid its share of the costs. Providers can’t charge beneficiaries for submitting claims, which must be sent directly to Medicare, he said.

“A primary distinction between providers who accept assignment and those who do not accept assignment on Medicare claims is that those who do not accept assignment can charge more than the Medicare-approved amount,” Wilson wrote in an email.

“However, there’s a limit on what they are allowed to charge referred to as ‘the limiting charge provision.’ The provider can only charge the Medicare beneficiary up to 15 percent over the Medicare-allowed amount for non-participating providers.

“Additionally, the beneficiary is not responsible for billed amounts in excess of the limiting charge for a Medicare-covered service.”

To see if a doctor or supplier accepts assignment or participates in Medicare, visit medicare.gov/physician or medicare.gov/supplier.

Van Cleef, ‘the Bad,’ died in 1989

Is actor Lee Van Cleef still alive?

No.

Van Cleef — “the Bad” in “The Good, the Bad and the Ugly” — died of a heart attack on Dec. 16, 1989, at age 64.

“Lee Van Cleef was born in Somerville, N.J., on Jan. 9, 1925. His first job was as a farm worker in his home state,” reads an obituary printed in The New York Times.

“He then worked as an accountant in Somerville before beginning in his movie career in 1950.”

His grave marker reads, in part, “Best of the bad.”

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Online: www.imdb.com.

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The Informer answers questions from readers each Sunday, Monday and Wednesday. It is researched and written by Andrew Perzo, an American Press staff writer. To ask a question, call 494-4098 and leave voice mail, or email informer@americanpress.com.(MGNonline)