The Medicare Coordination of Benefits phone number is 1-855-798-2627. That reaches the Benefits Coordination & Recovery Center (BCRC), the office that tracks which insurer pays first when you have Medicare alongside other coverage. Representatives take calls Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time, except on federal holidays.1Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Contacts If you are deaf or hard of hearing, the TTY line is 1-855-797-2627.2Medicare.gov. Medicare’s Coordination of Benefits – Getting Started
Other Ways to Reach the BCRC
For general coordination of benefits questions, case reporting, or coverage updates, you can also write to:
Medicare – Data Collections
P.O. Box 138897
Oklahoma City, OK 73113-88971Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Contacts
Workers’ Compensation Medicare Set-Aside Arrangement (WCMSA) proposals and final settlements go to a different address: P.O. Box 138899, Oklahoma City, OK 73113. WCMSA documents can also be faxed to (734) 957-9598.3Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Benefits Coordination and Recovery Center (BCRC)
If your issue involves liability insurance, no-fault, or workers’ compensation recovery, much of the work can be done online through the Medicare Secondary Payer Recovery Portal (MSPRP). Beneficiaries do not need a separate portal registration. Sign in through Medicare.gov with your existing credentials, and the portal shows any open cases plus any cases closed within the last month.4Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Medicare Secondary Payer Recovery Portal (MSPRP) Registration
What to Have Ready Before You Call
The call goes faster, and usually gets resolved on the first try, if you have these in front of you:
- Your Medicare Beneficiary Identifier (MBI), which is the number on your Medicare card. The MBI replaced Social Security Numbers on Medicare cards, and BCRC representatives use it to locate your file.5Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Medicare Beneficiary Identifiers (MBIs)
- Your full name, date of birth, and current mailing address.
- The name of your other insurance company or employer plan, the policy or group number, and the exact dates coverage began or ended.2Medicare.gov. Medicare’s Coordination of Benefits – Getting Started
- If workers’ compensation or liability insurance is involved, the date of the accident or injury and any claim reference numbers.
If Someone Else Is Calling for You
A family member, caregiver, or attorney can handle BCRC matters on your behalf, but you need written authorization on file first. CMS Form 1696, “Appointment of Representative,” is the standard form. Signing it gives the named person authority to make requests, present evidence, and receive communications about your case. It stays valid for one year from the date both parties sign, and it covers multiple actions during that period.6Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Appointment of Representative Send the completed form to the same address you would use for the related claim or matter.
When You Should Call
People often first hear about the BCRC after a claim gets denied, which is late. Reach out whenever your coverage situation changes:
- You enroll in Medicare for the first time while covered by another health plan.
- You turn 65 and are still working with employer coverage.
- You or your spouse retire, or employer group coverage starts or ends for any reason.
- You receive a settlement or payment from a liability, no-fault, or workers’ compensation claim.
- You begin or end COBRA continuation coverage.
- A provider’s claim is denied because the wrong insurer was billed first.
The BCRC cannot correct records it does not know are wrong, and until the records match your actual coverage, neither Medicare nor your other insurer will pay claims correctly.7Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Coordination of Benefits
Who Pays First When You Have Medicare Plus Other Coverage
Coordination of Benefits is the process that decides which plan pays first when you carry more than one. The plan that pays first is your primary payer and covers costs up to its policy limits. What remains goes to the secondary payer.8Medicare. Who Pays First? Which plan is primary depends on how you qualify for Medicare and, often, on the size of the employer providing your other coverage.
Employer Coverage at 65 or Older
If you are 65 or older and covered by an employer group health plan through your own or your spouse’s current job, the employer plan pays first when the employer has 20 or more employees. Medicare is secondary. If the employer has fewer than 20 employees, Medicare pays first. In a multi-employer plan, the 20-employee threshold is met if any single participating employer has at least 20 workers.9Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Small Employer Exception
Once you or your spouse stop working, the group plan usually stops being primary. This is one of the most common reasons to call the BCRC. If you retire and keep retiree coverage, Medicare typically shifts to primary payer and the retiree plan becomes secondary. Not reporting the change quickly leads to denied claims for months.8Medicare. Who Pays First?
Medicare Based on Disability
If you qualify for Medicare because of a disability rather than age, the employer threshold is higher. The group health plan pays first only if any employer in the plan has 100 or more employees. Otherwise, Medicare is primary.9Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Small Employer Exception
Workers’ Compensation, No-Fault, and Liability
When an injury or illness is covered by workers’ compensation, no-fault insurance, or liability insurance, those plans are always primary for the related care. Medicare does not pay for items or services when payment has been made or can reasonably be expected from one of those sources. If Medicare does pay while a case is pending, it has a legal right to recover those payments once the case resolves.10Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Medicare’s Recovery Process If a settlement is on the horizon or already in hand, the BCRC is the office you talk to.
What Happens After You Call
The representative verifies your identity using the MBI. If someone is calling on your behalf, they confirm the authorization is on file. You then give the updated insurance details, including policy information and the exact dates coverage started, changed, or ended.
The BCRC updates its database, and the change flows through to the Medicare claims processing system. You then receive a determination letter confirming the update and the new order of payment between your plans. Keep this letter. Providers and insurers may ask for it when claims questions come up, and you will need it if you ever want to dispute the decision.