What are Medicare’s guidelines regarding use of an advance beneficiary notice of noncoverage (ABN) in relation to ambulance services?
The CMS Medicare Claims Processing Manual states:
Ambulance transports
Emergency or urgent situations: In general, a notifier may not issue an ABN to a beneficiary who has a medical emergency or is under similar duress. Forcing delivery of an ABN during an emergency may be considered coercive. ABN usage in the ER may be appropriate in some cases where the beneficiary is medically stable with no emergent health issues.