Eligible for Medicaid - do I have to cancel insurance?

Question

I applied for Medicaid and was approved... I have a private insurance policy that doesn't cover routine maternity, so I am using this Medicaid just for my pregnancy. Is it an issue that I have private insurance? The caseworker warned me that it might pose a problem. She didn't specify whether it was legal or not to have both, just that it MIGHT be a problem.

Should I simply cancel my policy before I start using Medicaid? By the time my twins are due in late August, I'll be eligible for open enrollment with my husband, so I'm just wondering if it would be a good idea to cancel my policy, use Medicaid in the meantime, and then sign up the babies and myself under his plan when open enrollment comes around in August.

Answer 1

Unless your state requires that you can not have any other insurance in order to be on medicaid,and some do, it would certainly be more cost effective for you to cancel your private policy. If you decide to keep the private insurance, you will need to bill them for payment or denial before you bill medicaid for any services you have received. Which could be the "problem" your caseworker was referring to.

Answer 2

medicaid covers all pregnant women who qualify and that is like 80%.  However, medicaid doesnt cover dental or good eyecare.  You dont want to get rid of your other insurance just keep it as your primary.  Medicaid for pregnancy is FOR people who arent covered either at all or by their other insurance.  You can have both, this was explaied to me when i was pregnant and they asked if i had any other and i didnt.  But there was confusion because i did have coverage a couple of year back and my pharmiacist said they needed an answer from them first because medicaid is a secondary or tertiary insurance group.  It was fun explaining to him that i had no other insurance, but oh, well.  Medicaid still paid for the stuff because my 'other' insurance didnt cover it.  Hope this clarifies....you really should keep your other insurance, it stinks to not have dental or vision!!!!!

Answer 3

Give both to your OB-GYN, to avoid Coordination of Benefits problems. Most doctors' offices will submit to Medicaid as a secondary, some may not accept it as a primary plan. It is totally legal to have both.