When might someone have primary and secondary health insurance??

Question

When might someone have primary and secondary health insurance??

Answer 1

Most of the time people have primary and secondary insurance (also called "double coverage")  because they themselves have health insurance (through their job, perhaps) and their spouse also has health insurance that covers them as well.  Those with Medicare insurance may also purchase a secondary insurance to help defray costs that Medicare does not cover.

Answer 2

In addition to how this occurs, it may cause a lot of billing problems and liability issues. If you are asking due to a long term need like CF or cancer, you should talk to a social worker at a CF or cancer center. Especially if one insurance is billed at PPO rates and the other at HMO rates like SSI. The hospital will usually refuse to bill the HMO rated (secondary) policy until the Primary PPO has covered all they will cover. In contrast, the PPO will insist that SSI is the primary. In other words it turns into a finger pointing paradox. You may end up paying the bill yourself... You may need to get creative about how you structure your insurance and finances. If you are solvent enough to have multiple insurances, it may be wise to talk with a good insurance agent or an attorney that specializes in this kind of thing. Maybe a family trust and elder law attorney.