Medicare has come out with a new Advanced Beneficiary Notice Form.  The updated versions are posted in English and Spanish on CMS’ BNI webpage. The updated IM and DND are effective now and expire March 31, 2029.  Providers may continue to use the expired versions of the IM and DND until May 15, 2026, but must transition to the approved forms no later than that date. 

The Advance Beneficiary Notice of Noncoverage (ABN), Form CMS-R-131, is issued by providers (including independent laboratories, home health agencies, and hospices), physicians, practitioners, and suppliers to Original Medicare (fee for service – FFS) beneficiaries in situations where Medicare payment is expected to be denied. The ABN is issued in order to transfer potential financial liability to the Medicare beneficiary in certain instances. Guidelines for issuing the ABN can be found beginning in Section 50 in the Medicare Claims Processing Manual, 100-4, Chapter 30 (PDF).