Do I need to declare both insurance plans?
I have kept my cobra insurance for a procedure in a few weeks that a specialist (who is not covered by the union plan) is doing. If I go to see a regular doctor or another specialist that is covered by both, do I need to inform them that I have dual insurance, since with my cobra plan, I only have a $10 copay, and most likely I will stop the cobra after the procedure? I'd rather it come out of the cobra instead of using my union benefits. Also, am I required to list the union plan as primary, or do I have a choice to list the cobra plan as primary (as I am paying more for cobra)?
Public Comments
- I don't believe there is a legal requirement to put both on. My wife was covered under my insurance and her employment gave her some too (because she is not allowed to be compensated more if she gets insurance so she took the insurance). The way we did it was depending on which one had better coverage in a certain area was the one to go by. The main reason we did this was because we once made the mistake of letting our insurance companies know about the other one and the two companies kept going back and forth over who was responsible for the bill. It became our nightmare! Since the insurance companies do not give you a discount rate for having a second insurance and they would be paying the same out if you had only their insurance I don't see how they can be getting screwed. The doctor might make more depending on which insurance you use but if they are willing to accept you using your corbra insurance I don't see how they can complain. But I am not a lawyer but I have never been in trouble because of it.
- Yes, you need to notify the doctors office. If filed incorrectly it will not be paid. Your primary insurance is always the one where you are currently working. The cobra would be secondary. You should try to go to a doctor that is on both plans and that way even if your primary has a deductible you are still only responsible for the copay from the secondary.
- Ya because if you declare one and hide one then may be there will be some problem for you as per taxation rule so make everything clear.
