If you’re among the 7 million Americans enrolled in the Qualified Medicare Beneficiary (QMB) Program, providers aren’t allowed to bill you for medical services and items that Medicare covers. This means you can’t be billed for Medicare deductibles, coinsurance, and copayments.

Here are 3 tips if you get a bill for these charges:

1. Tell the provider or debt collector that you have QMB and can’t be charged for Medicare deductibles, coinsurance, and copayments. Show your provider your Medicaid or QMB card every time you get medical services or items. If you already made payments on a bill for services and items Medicare covers, you have the right to a refund.
2. If the medical provider won’t stop billing you, call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227). TTY users can call 1-877-486-2048. The agent can confirm that you have QMB. Medicare can also ask the provider to stop improper billing, and refund any incorrect payments you made.
3. If you have a problem with debt collection, you can send a complaint to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) online or call the CFPB toll-free at (855) 411-2372. TTY users can call (855) 729-2372. CFPB will forward your complaint to the company and work to get you a response from them. Find out about your rights when responding to a debt collector or learn how to dispute an error on your credit report.

Remember, being in QMB means that you don’t pay Medicare deductibles, coinsurance, and copayments. If a provider asks you to pay, that’s illegal. We’re here to help.