MEDICARE CURRENT BENEFICIARY SURVEY (MCBS)

Our CMS colleagues are sharing news that some Medicare beneficiaries (less than 30,000) will be contacted. This is part of an ongoing study called the Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey (MCBS). CMS contracts with the University of Chicago, a respected social science research organization, to conduct the study known as the nonpartisan and objective research organization (NORC).

NORC will be contacting beneficiaries in coming weeks on the behalf of CMS. This is an exception to our typical guidance that CMS will not contact Medicare beneficiaries directly. If you are contacted, you can verify the study and interviewer by:

1. Visit the MCBS Respondent page for more information https://mcbs.norc.org/,
2. Confirm the letters received match those posted at Medicare.gov MCBS Selection Letter,
3. Visit the following website and enter the interviewer ID number and last name https://www.norc.org/WorkingWithNORC/Pages/survey-participants.aspx

Due to the pandemic, the process may begin with a telephone call, followed by a letter, and scheduling an interview. A professional interviewer will contact selected beneficiaries to schedule and complete the MCBS by telephone or in-person (as return to normal operations). This is an important distinction from previous efforts when CMS would not contact the beneficiary by telephone after the advance letter (rather an interviewer would come to the door).