CMS working on updated advance beneficiary form
By HME News Staff
Updated 10:07 AM CST, Tue February 3, 2026
YARMOUTH, Maine – The current advance beneficiary form of noncoverage, ABN Form CMS-R-131, is scheduled to expire on Jan. 31, 2026, according to an update posted by Noridian Healthcare Solutions, the DME MAC for Jurisdiction D. The contractor says the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is actively developing an updated version of the form. Once the new form is finalized, Noridian and CMS will make an announcement on their websites, along with any related implementation guidance. Noridian says durable medical equipment (DME) providers should continue using the existing ABN format until further instructions are issued. The contractor says to monitor the following websites for updates:
- https://www.cms.gov/medicare/forms-notices/beneficiary-notices-initiative
- https://med.noridianmedicare.com/web/jddme/topics/abn
An ABN is a written notice a provider gives to a Medicare beneficiary before providing an item and/or service. It must be issued when the health care provider (including independent laboratories, physicians, practitioners and providers) believes that Medicare may not pay for an item or service which is expected to be denied by Medicare based on certain statutory exclusions.
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