If you’re a Medicare beneficiary in Maine, you’ve probably noticed some recent changes to your Medicare Summary Notice.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services redesigned the summaries to help you better spot potential fraud, waste and abuse within the system. Medicare Summary Notices are mailed every three months to people with Medicare Part A and Part B. The summary shows you all of the services or supplies that providers and suppliers billed to Medicare during the three-month period, what Medicare paid, and the maximum amount you may owe the provider.

The redesigned notice makes it easier for you to understand benefits, file an appeal if a claim is denied, and spot claims for services you never received. In fact, being able to spot claims for services you never received is one of the best ways to sound a whistle on Medicare fraud.

I’m eager for you to see the changes we’ve made and I hope you’ll be able to use your Medicare Summary Notice as another tool to stay informed about your benefits, while also keeping a watchful eye on billing activity. When your redesigned Medicare Summary Notice arrives in the mail, here are a few ways you can diligently check your information and protect your benefits.

— If you have other insurance, check to see if it covers anything that Medicare didn’t.

— Keep your receipts and bills, and compare them to your Medicare Summary Notice to be sure you got all the services, supplies, or equipment listed.

— If you paid a bill before you got your notice, compare your Medicare Summary Notice with the bill to make sure you paid the right amount for your services.

— If an item or service is denied, call your doctor’s or other health care provider’s office to make sure they submitted the correct information. If not, the office may resubmit. If you disagree with any decision made, you can file an appeal. The last page of the redesigned Medicare Summary Notice gives you step-by-step directions on when and how to file an appeal.

For more information about the Medicare Summary Notice, please visit: www.Medicare.gov.

As always, you should report any and all suspicions of fraud by calling 1-800-HHS-Tips or 1- 800-MEDICARE.

RAY HURD is regional administrator for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, based in Boston.