Do I have to use my Primary Medical Insurance if my Secondary is better insurance?

Question

I have dual coverage medical insurance. I have had my secondary insurance for years before I got a job and now have my own insurance. Well my new insurance sucks, and I would rather not even claim anything with them and would rather have my now secondary insurance billed. Basically I want to just not put any claims through under the primary or use the newer Primary insurance. When I got the new primary, it was at no cost to me, so I just accepted it, thinking I could use it for back up and just continue using my old insurance. Then I heard that when I go to the doc that I would have to use the new as primary and then the old insurance would now be secondary. I can't cancel the insurance because it was bought on a cafeteria plan and IRS won't allow cancellations unless a major thing has happened (birth, death, divorce, etc). Can anyone help me???

Answer 1

you don't get to choose... Your insurance through your new job is primary. Sorry.

Answer 2

The primary must pay first.  You cannot "switch" the secondary to primary.

Answer 3

You turn in both insurance policies to the doctor or hospital and the benefits will be coordinated.

Answer 4

You will have to call the secondary insurance to ask if the standard rules apply as far as determining primary, secondary payor. It's possible that it doesn't have to follow those rules because of it being an individual policy.

Edit:Some individual policys do not have to follow the usual rules for payor determination. They may pay benefits whether or not there is another payor. Also just because one policy does not cover a procedure, doesn't mean the secondary won't-they will follow the guidelines for benefits as outlined in the policy.

If these policies DO follow the payor determination rules and at any time discover they have paid incorrectly due to another payor being primary, they could take back any benefits paid previously.

Answer 5

Use the primary, and if anything is left unpaid, usethe secondary for the balance.