CMS has released a revised version of the Advance Beneficiary Notice of Noncoverage (ABN) form (CMS-R-131), which replaces the General Use ABN (CMS-R-131-G), and the Lab ABN (CMS-R-131-L) for physician-ordered laboratory tests.  Suppliers and providers may use the ABN to inform a beneficiary that Medicare is likely to deny payment for an item or service and the beneficiary is potentially liable for payment.  Key changes include the following:  the new version can be used for voluntary notifications in place of the Notice of Exclusion from Medicare Benefits (NEMB); it has a mandatory field for cost estimates of the items/services at issue; and it allows a beneficiary to choose to receive an item/service and pay for it out-of-pocket, rather than have a claim submitted to Medicare.  The form and instructions are available here. Use of the revised form currently is optional, but it is mandatory beginning September 1, 2008.