To review your Medicare lien — including the payments Medicare covered for your medical care related to an injury caused by a third party — log in online or call the Benefits Coordination & Recovery Center (BCRC).
If you’re a Medicare beneficiary and are injured in an accident caused by someone else, such as a car crash or workplace incident, Medicare may cover your medical costs while your personal injury case is pending.
Later, Medicare will file a lien, also called a recovery claim, to be reimbursed for those payments. Medicare’s lien must be repaid out of your settlement or award before you receive the remaining funds.
Either you or your attorney must notify Medicare about your settlement. Medicare will then review what it actually paid for your accident-related medical care and determine how much must be repaid. This repayment amount is called a “conditional payment.”
Then, if you need to check on a Medicare lien, you can use the Medicare Secondary Payer Recovery Portal (MSPRP). Either you or your attorney can use it to see case details and any conditional payments you may have.
You don’t need to create a new account to use the MSPRP if you’re a Medicare beneficiary. You can access the portal through your account on MyMedicare.gov under the MSP tab.
Your attorney, however, will need to log in using the MSPRP portal link and register for access. A detailed user guide is available under the “Reference Materials” heading on the portal website.
Medicare’s BCRC is responsible for recovering a Medicare Lien. This is the office you need to call to report your settlement. And it is also the office you can call for additional questions about the Medicare lien process.
BCRC customer service is available to help Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time (closed on holidays). You can reach them toll-free at 1-855-798-2627 (TTY 1-855-797-2627).
Resolving a Medicare lien could take a few months, but the exact time frame depends on the details of your specific case.
Generally, when you report a settlement, Medicare looks at its records to see if it paid for any care related to your injury. Within a couple of months, you’ll get a letter listing those payments and information about the “conditional payment” and what steps you need to take. You’ll have 30 days to send in various necessary documents, like your settlement papers.
If you respond on time, Medicare will review your information and adjust what you owe if appropriate. If you don’t respond, they’ll send a bill for the full amount without reductions.
You can also dispute charges you believe don’t belong by sending evidence, and Medicare will usually review and reply within about 45 days. In the end, you’ll receive a final letter telling you how much needs to be repaid.