Respondent Newsletter

What’s Inside:
• Understanding and

Saving Your Health
Care Statements
page 2

• Getting the Most

Out of Your Doctor
Appointments
• Recipe:
Zucchini Bread
page 3
• Crossword Puzzle
• Meet the Interviewer

page 4

WINTER | 2022
Greetings! Thank you for your participation in the Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey. The success of the survey
depends on your cooperation. We appreciate your continued support and hope you find this newsletter both enjoyable and
informative! Recently, we have conducted all interviews by phone, but we look forward to visiting in person again soon!

What is the MCBS?
The Medicare Current Beneficiary
Survey or MCBS is a continuous
survey of people who receive
Medicare benefits. This survey
is designed to represent the
entire population of individuals
currently receiving Medicare
benefits, including people living
in a community setting or in long

term care facilities. The survey’s
main goal is to help policymakers
improve the Medicare program by
providing a wealth of information
about you, the beneficiary, and
your overall health care experience.
We do this by recording costs
associated with health care services,
as well as information on topics

including health insurance coverage,
knowledge of the Medicare program
as well as access to care and
satisfaction with care. The MCBS
is sponsored by the Centers for
Medicare & Medicaid Services
(CMS) and is conducted by NORC
at the University of Chicago.

About NORC

YEARS 1991-2021

NORC at the University of Chicago is an objective, nonpartisan, research
organization. NORC conducts research and analysis that decision-makers
trust, providing high quality insights for more than eight decades. We have
professional interviewers across the nation working on the MCBS. As a
professional research organization, NORC is deeply committed to protecting
the privacy of all respondents’ personal information; the answers you
provide will be kept private to the extent permitted by law, as prescribed by
the Federal Privacy Act of 1974. To learn more about NORC or to contact the
MCBS team please:
Call us at
1-844-777-2151

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Email us at
[email protected]

Visit us at
www.mcbs.norc.org &
www.cms.gov/MCBS

Understanding and Saving Your Health
Care Statements
As a Medicare beneficiary, Example Medicare Summary Notice (MSN) Statement
it is important to keep track
Your Claims Part B (Medical Insurance)
of your medical events and
make informed decisions
January 13, 2021
This section with the grey header lists event information
about your health care
Example Medical Center, (312) 555-7777
including the event date and provider.
options. Keeping track of
PO Box 123456, Chicago, IL 60603-2312
Referred by Doe, John
your health care related
Maximum
Amount
See
MedicareAmount
events and saving your
Service
You May
Provider
Notes
Approved
Medicare
insurance statements, bills,
Service Provided & Billing Code
Approved?
Be Billed
Charged
Below
Amount
Paid
and receipts for all medical
Dr. Doe, Jane T., M.D.
visits and purchases will
Yes
$85.00
$74.85
$58.68
$14.97
A,B
Established patient office visit or other
be helpful during your
outpatient visit, typically 15 minutes (99213)
next MCBS interview.
Total for Claim #12-12345-123-123
$85.00
$74.85
$58.68
$14.97
C
Your interviewer will ask
about these documents to
Claim number
gather information about
The bottom row of each column lists the following
the type of health care you
totals: Amount Provider Charged, MedicareApproved Amount, Amount Medicare Paid, and
received and the costs of
Maximum You May Be Billed.
these services. Saving these
statements ensures that the
information collected during Example Prescription Drug Plan (PDP) Statement
the interview is as complete Your prescription drugs during the past month
Plan paid
You paid
Other payments
and accurate as possible.
Your prescriptions for covered Part D drugs
Month Covered
One way to stay organized
is to understand the
documents you receive
from Medicare and/or your
Medicare Advantage plan.
If you are enrolled in
Medicare Part A and/or
Part B, you will receive a
Medicare Summary Notice,
also called an MSN. This is
mailed every 3 months and
explains the charges that
will be paid by Medicare
and those that will be paid
by you or other insurance
(like Medigap or employer
insurance)3.
If you are enrolled in
Medicare Part C, Medicare
Part D, or a supplemental
insurance (Medigap), you
may receive what is called
an Explanation of Benefits,
also called an EOB.

December, 2020
PANTOPRAZOLE TAB 40MG
12/10/2020, CVS PHARMACY
Rx#000001234567, 30 Days Supply

SUCRALFATE SUS 1GM/10ML
12/15/2020, CVS PHARMACY
Rx#000008910111, 12 Days Supply
TOTALS for the month of:
December 2020:
Your “out-of-pocket costs” amount is
$9.00. (This is the amount you paid this
month ($9.00) plus the amount of “other
payments” made this month that count
toward your “out-of-pocket costs” ($0.00).
See definitions in Section 3.)
Your “total drug costs” amount is $16.70.
(This is the total for this month of all
payments made for your drugs by the plan
($7.70) and you ($9.00) plus “other
payments” ($0.00).)

$3.00

$2.00

$0.00

$4.70

$7.00

$0.00

$7.70
(Total for the month)

$9.00
(Total for the month)

$0.00
(Total for the month)

Prescription name,
form, strength, &

Amount the
plan paid

Amount
you paid

Total cost

EOBs sent under Medicare month, quarter, and year as
Part C, otherwise known
applicable.4
as Medicare Advantage,
Above you will find
vary by insurance plan.
an example Medicare
Similar to MSNs, they also Summary Notice (MSN)
cover health care services
and Prescription Drug Plan
that have been accessed as
(PDP) Statement. Although
well as out-of-pocket costs. you may not receive these
They provide a description exact types of documents,
of the plan’s deductibles per
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we have provided these
examples to help you
find similar information
on your own statements.
We recommend you save
this newsletter so you can
reference these examples
during your next MCBS
interview!

Getting the Most Out of Your Doctor Appointments

Have you ever left your doctor’s appointment realizing you forgot to ask an important question? Maybe
you felt lost and unsure because you didn’t fully understand the doctor’s instructions? You’re not alone!
It’s easy to feel rushed and overwhelmed during your appointment. Here are some tips to help you feel
empowered, get the most out of that time, and make every minute count:

1 Write Down a List of Questions1

The text below is an excerpt from NIH.gov about getting
the most out of your doctor’s visits. For more information,
you can find the full text here: https://www.nia.nih.gov/
health/five-ways-get-most-out-your-doctors-visit2

Questions are key to good communication with your
doctor. Questions you might want to ask include:
a. Medical tests
i. Why is the test being done?
ii. What will we know after the test?
b. Diagnosis
i. What may have caused this condition? Will it
be permanent?
ii. How is this condition treated or managed?
c. Medications
i. What are the common side effects of this new
medication?
ii. Are there any interactions between this new
medication and other over-the-counter
medicines

“If you realize you’re uncertain about the doctor’s
instructions after you get home, call the office. A nurse
or other staff member can check with the doctor and
call you back. Due to COVID-19, health care providers
may offer more telehealth services. Ask if they have an
email address or online health portal you can use to send
questions.”
3 Be Honest
“It is tempting to say what you think the doctor wants
to hear, for example, that you smoke less or eat a more
balanced diet than you really do. While this is natural,
it’s not in your best interest.

2 Be an Active Participant
Medical care is a conversation; that being said, to have
influence in that conversation it’s necessary to speak up.
Sometimes, doctors use medical jargon without realizing
they are not explaining things in terms we understand. To
be sure you understand, repeat back to your doctor what
they have told you.

It is important to always be honest with your doctor.
For instance, you might say: ‘I have been trying to quit
smoking, as you recommended, but I am not making
much headway.’” (NIH 2020). Being honest about these
and other lifestyle matters ensure that you are receiving
the best care possible.

Recipe: Zucchini Bread

5

Ingredients

Directions

• 2 cups whole wheat flour

1. Preheat oven to 350̊ F.
2. Grate 2 cups of zucchini, which is
approximately 2 small zucchinis.
3. Place flour, baking powder, baking soda,
cinnamon, and allspice in a large bowl and whisk together.
4. In a separate bowl, whisk together applesauce, apple juice concentrate,
maple syrup, and vanilla.
5. Add grated zucchini to wet mixture and stir until blended.
6. Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients. Mix just until dry ingredients
are evenly moistened. Stir in walnuts, if using.
7. Spoon batter into non-stick loaf pan. Bake on center rack of oven for
approximately 50 minutes, or until toothpick inserted into the center
comes out clean.
8. Turn bread out onto a cooling rack and let cool completely before
slicing or storing.
9. Serve as breakfast, snack, or dessert. We recommend serving it warm!

• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon allspice
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 2 cups shredded zucchini
• ½ cup applesauce
• ¼ cup maple syrup
• ¼ cup apple juice concentrate
(thawed & undiluted)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• ¼ cup walnuts (optional)

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Crossword Puzzle:
Across
4. A person who administers the MCBS
6. Health insurance program
7. Fruits and vegetables make up a healthy ____
9. Bring a list of questions and concerns when you
visit this person
Down
1. Independent non-profit organization
2. Something you pick up from the pharmacy
3. Type of squash
5. A virtual visit with your health care provider
8. The organ that is associated with memory.

Meet the Field Interviewer: Nicole Bertholf
Well, hello, fancy meeting you here! My name is Nicole Bertholf, and I am a Field
Interviewer and Regional Specialist on the MCBS. I have been working on this project
for 15 years and am still passionate about my commitment.
I was born and raised in Aspen, CO, but now live in Santa Monica, CA. I started skiing at the
age of two, on a pair of skis my father had made. I wasn’t tall enough to get on the Poma lifts,
so I would hike up the bunny hill and ski back down; my mother said it was next to impossible
to get me to come in at the end of the day. In addition to skiing, I love the outdoors, rafting,
gardening, traveling, reading, Sudoku, and cooking. I have worked in a variety of fields, all of
which have fulfilled my love of meeting new people - people just like you. I love your stories
and feel honored that you share your laughter, joy, and heartache with me. All of you who
participate in this amazing project, for yourselves and for future generations, are incredible
people. You are irreplaceable, and you are still shaping the future of this country. THANK YOU!
Just to brighten your day I’m passing along a joke one of my respondents shared with me: The grandson calls his
grandmother to say he is coming to visit her. She tells him “When you get here, use your elbow to push the call button
at the front and I will buzz you into the building. Then go straight ahead to the elevator and use your elbow to push
the button, get on, and use your elbow to push the button for the third floor. When you get off, go left and I’m the first
apartment on the right. Use your elbow to push the doorbell and I will let you in.” Her grandson says o.k., then asks,
“But why do I need to use my elbow for all the buttons?” His grandmother says “What, you’re coming empty handed?”

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ANSWERS
Across
4. Interviewer
6. Medicare
7. Diet
9. Doctor
Down
1. NORC
2. Prescription
3. Zucchini
5. Telehealth
8. Brain

References:
1. https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/what-should-i-ask-my-doctor-during-checkup
2. https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/five-ways-get-most-out-your-doctors-visit
3. https://www.ncdoi.gov/media/1816/open
4. https://www.cms.gov/outreach-and-education/outreach/partnerships/downloads/11234-p.pdf
5. https://nutritionstudies.org/recipes/dessert/zucchini-bread