Hopefully you are not only using the Medicare ABN (Advanced Beneficiary Notice) the correct way in your medical practice, but that you are using the correct version.  As of January 1st of this year, CMS says the only valid one is the one from March 2011.  You can download the one approved by CMS on my FREE DOCUMENTS page on the left menu to make sure you are using the right one and there are also instructions you can download with it.  Every once in awhile I talk to a medical office that either has no idea what an ABN is or they are not using it correctly.  <br> <br> Some offices have the patients sign it before they get any lab tests and Medicare, CMS and the Office of Inspector General (OIG) feels that is a 'general' notice - so it's invalid.  You must have a specific reason to believe that the service will be denied when you give it to a Medicare patient, per CMS.  Some have the patients sign one during the first visit in case they ever need it.  That's not valid either and will get you into trouble with Medicare and CMS. That is similar to you giving your wife an expensive gift when you first meet and tell her "that is my apology gift eventually when I screw up - which i will do".  No way.   You didn't make it to the 8 second count on that ride, cowboy.  (watch rodeo to see what I mean).  You also cannot have the patient sign the ABN after you render the service.  That makes it invalid as well.  <br> <br>Make sure you're using the correct version and using it when you should as the RACs will be looking for that as well.   Hey - if you like these blogs, let me know.  The really creative and brilliant ones I save for my monthly 8 page newsletter that goes out to thousands of subscribers each month.