How Medicare Works with Other Insurance

If you’re at the age where you’re now eligible for Medicare, but you still have another health insurance policy you’re paying for, then you can use both together to help strengthen your medical coverage. But, for many, having both Medicare and another form of insurance can be confusing. After all, which one pays medical bills first?
This guide will give you more insight into how your existing insurance policy will work with Medicare in Wilmington NC.
Understanding Primary/Secondary Insurance Providers
When you fill out paperwork at your doctor’s office, the insurance section always asks whether or not you have a secondary form of insurance. When you have both Medicare and another health insurance policy, you have both a primary and a secondary insurance provider. Which one is considered the primary depends on the coordination of benefits rules in your particular case.
In situations where the health insurance policy is the primary, the policy will pay for everything it covers up to the limits of its coverage. Anything that’s left unpaid for or is accrued after the primary has reached its coverage limit, is then sent to the secondary payer (Medicare) for payment. When Medicare is the primary, then anything it doesn’t pay for will be sent to the secondary insurance for payment.
Keep in mind – when Medicare is your secondary insurance, there is always a risk that some of the services you’re being billed for won’t be covered. Also, if the bill is sent to your primary insurance and it remains unpaid after 120 days, then the service provider may bill Medicare. If this happens, then Medicare will make a “conditional payment” to cover the bill and then recover what it owed to them from the primary provider.
How Does Medigap Coverage Work With Medicare?
When you have Medigap insurance, it usually serves as your secondary insurance payer. It is designed to cover whatever Medicare won’t pay for up to the limits of its coverage. This is why it is often called “supplemental insurance.”
Need Supplemental Insurance for Medicare in Wilmington NC? Schnitzer-Slate Can Help
Most people, when they reach eligibility age, are surprised to discover that Medicare doesn’t cover all of their medical bills. As a result, many seniors wind up receiving medical bills totaling thousands of dollars. This is why supplemental insurance is such a necessity. At Schnitzer-Slate, we have a variety of Blue Cross Blue Shield North Carolina supplemental insurance plans to choose from that will help offset the costs left uncovered by Medicare in Wilmington NC.
Just give Schnitzer-Slate a call today at 910-392-7020. One of our agents will help you find the right Medigap insurance for your needs and budget. Or, just visit our website at http://healthplannc.com/ to learn more about our affordable Blue Cross Blue Shield North Carolina insurance plans for retirees.
This guide will give you more insight into how your existing insurance policy will work with Medicare in Wilmington NC.
Understanding Primary/Secondary Insurance Providers
When you fill out paperwork at your doctor’s office, the insurance section always asks whether or not you have a secondary form of insurance. When you have both Medicare and another health insurance policy, you have both a primary and a secondary insurance provider. Which one is considered the primary depends on the coordination of benefits rules in your particular case.
In situations where the health insurance policy is the primary, the policy will pay for everything it covers up to the limits of its coverage. Anything that’s left unpaid for or is accrued after the primary has reached its coverage limit, is then sent to the secondary payer (Medicare) for payment. When Medicare is the primary, then anything it doesn’t pay for will be sent to the secondary insurance for payment.
Keep in mind – when Medicare is your secondary insurance, there is always a risk that some of the services you’re being billed for won’t be covered. Also, if the bill is sent to your primary insurance and it remains unpaid after 120 days, then the service provider may bill Medicare. If this happens, then Medicare will make a “conditional payment” to cover the bill and then recover what it owed to them from the primary provider.
How Does Medigap Coverage Work With Medicare?
When you have Medigap insurance, it usually serves as your secondary insurance payer. It is designed to cover whatever Medicare won’t pay for up to the limits of its coverage. This is why it is often called “supplemental insurance.”
Need Supplemental Insurance for Medicare in Wilmington NC? Schnitzer-Slate Can Help
Most people, when they reach eligibility age, are surprised to discover that Medicare doesn’t cover all of their medical bills. As a result, many seniors wind up receiving medical bills totaling thousands of dollars. This is why supplemental insurance is such a necessity. At Schnitzer-Slate, we have a variety of Blue Cross Blue Shield North Carolina supplemental insurance plans to choose from that will help offset the costs left uncovered by Medicare in Wilmington NC.
Just give Schnitzer-Slate a call today at 910-392-7020. One of our agents will help you find the right Medigap insurance for your needs and budget. Or, just visit our website at http://healthplannc.com/ to learn more about our affordable Blue Cross Blue Shield North Carolina insurance plans for retirees.