[DanP]

Ya might want to go a step further and ask if your doctor accepts medicare assignment. This can save lots of bucks too. If he accepts assignment then he is agreeing that whatever medicare approves is the total amount of the bill. For instance, if he accepts assignment and then bill $100 and then Medicare only approves $80. Medicare will then pay 80% of the $80or $64 making you or your supplemental insurance liable for $16. If he doesn't accept assignment then you will be billed for $36.
None of this amounts to very much but if you had a surgeon's charge of $25000.00 then you could be out big bucks if the surgeon will not accept assignment. Since I have gone on Medicare I won't see a doctor, clinic, or hospital that doesn't accept assignment. Fortunately MOST physicians do accept assignment because so many of their patients are on Medicare and despite their griping that Medicare pays too little their practice and profits would suffer quite a bit if they didn't accept Medicare patients. Anyway, give this 'assignment' thing so thought - in a years time it will save you lots of $$$.