How is double health insurance coverage handled for child when parents are divorced?

Question

1)Father required by court decree to carry child on health insurance

2)Mother enrolled child on new hubby's plan through employer

Which is primary and secondary? I understand that it is usually determined by subscriber's birth date (which would make #2 primary), but is this the case when there is a divorce decree involved?

Mother says keeps getting bills not paid because ins company wants to know when insurance #1 became effective.

She states the entire problem is b/c she doesn't have in her possession an insurance card for father's insurance. Father has given copy of card to dr office.

What is the real issue here? The card or the double coverage?

Answer 1

the primary is the one that has been in place the longest and should pay the bulk of any bills then the secondary should pick up from there

Answer 2

It depends on what state you live. Below is a link of the text of the law for my state. Most states have a similar, if not identical  law. Call your states insurance commissioner and ask what regulation or statute addresses "group coordination of benefits".

Good luck

Don

http://mtnhealthinsurance.com  

Answer 3

I work at a health care clinic and it should be up the the clinic to verify

eeligibility I would take all documents such as the divorce decree stating the father provide insurance and your cards, and provide a copy, depending on what kind of system they should be able to bill primary ins. oh! and YOU contacting the insurance copy would make it alot  easier as well, they'll ask for the same documents.

Answer 4

The real issue is double coverage.  My guess is that the new husband's insurance takes a back seat to the biological father's insurance due to the court decree.  Call the doctor's office and ask them to check the issuance date on the insurance card and then call back insurance company number 2 with the date.  Save the date because insurance company number 2 will probably want to update their records on a periodic basis.  BTW, the subscriber's birth date has nothing to do with which is primary.