any medical insurance experts?

[infomama]

My employer is going to the same insurance company that Dhs employer uses. Does anyone have a clue if we can have two family policies with the same insurance company? I've gotten pretty used to double insurance.

[bigsis]

My DH has worked in the health insurance industry for the past 15 years. He said having your primary and secondary insurance with one company is OK.

[caheinz]

Yes, you'll have different group numbers for each plan, and you'll just want to make sure that each provider has the right one in the right place (primary, secondary).

And don't necessarily expect the company to be able to coordinate with itself...

[infomama]

My DH has worked in the health insurance industry for the past 15 years. He said having your primary and secondary insurance with one company is OK.
This is good news. Thanks so much for asking him.

[jerseygirl]

Just curious...if the family is generally healthy, why would you want double insurance? Aren't you paying more than necessary for family coverage for both insurances ?

[infomama]

Just curious...if the family is generally healthy, why would you want double insurance? Aren't you paying more than necessary for family coverage for both insurances ?
There was a time we needed a *very* expensive medicine for a long period of time. One insurance company covered it when the other said they would not. I suppose it's a safety blanket due to that experience.

[KrisM]

And don't necessarily expect the company to be able to coordinate with itself...

DH and I worked together before DS1. We had the same insurance. What a mess it was when DS1 was born, as I added him to DH's insurance and not mine, since I knew I was leaving. Ugh. Thankfully, our HR dept was great.

[DebbieJ]

Yes, you'll have different group numbers for each plan, and you'll just want to make sure that each provider has the right one in the right place (primary, secondary).

And don't necessarily expect the company to be able to coordinate with itself...

:yeahthat: My insurance company has been the same through two employers. DH left company #1 and had a new policy with company #2. The insurance company was still filing things under the company #1 policy (and denying coverage!) even though my providers were using the correct ID#. It was totally frustrating!


Just curious...if the family is generally healthy, why would you want double insurance? Aren't you paying more than necessary for family coverage for both insurances ?

If you are both eligible for insurance coverage, you MUST at least take individual coverage for yourself. Your policy will be primary for you, and your DH's policy will be primary for him. You can choose to add your children to either. If you forgo insurance of your own and are only on your DH's insurance, they can DENY all coverage for you via their coordination of benefits clause. You don't want to do that. I had that happen to me. It all got straightened out, but it wasn't fun. (I had insurance but they only ran it through my DH's and discovered the coordination of benefits after the fact, so everything had to be resubmitted) The insurance your employer provides must be your primary insurance.

[cckwmh]

Quoted from above: (Can't get quote to work)
If you are both eligible for insurance coverage, you MUST at least take individual coverage for yourself. Your policy will be primary for you, and your DH's policy will be primary for him. You can choose to add your children to either. If you forgo insurance of your own and are only on your DH's insurance, they can DENY all coverage for you via their coordination of benefits clause. You don't want to do that. I had that happen to me. It all got straightened out, but it wasn't fun. (I had insurance but they only ran it through my DH's and discovered the coordination of benefits after the fact, so everything had to be resubmitted) The insurance your employer provides must be your primary insurance


I wonder if this is regional. At least in Massachusetts, where health insurance is required, you do not need to have the employers insurance policy as long as you are covered by a policy. There is a state form to fill out stating you have coverage. Often one spouse has a better plan, so as a family, you use the better plan. The coordination of beneifits clause only is in effect if you have 2 plans. If there is only 1 insurance plan, COB rules doe not apply.

[ha98ed14]

Quoted from above: (Can't get quote to work)
If you are both eligible for insurance coverage, you MUST at least take individual coverage for yourself. Your policy will be primary for you, and your DH's policy will be primary for him. You can choose to add your children to either. If you forgo insurance of your own and are only on your DH's insurance, they can DENY all coverage for you via their coordination of benefits clause. You don't want to do that. I had that happen to me. It all got straightened out, but it wasn't fun. (I had insurance but they only ran it through my DH's and discovered the coordination of benefits after the fact, so everything had to be resubmitted) The insurance your employer provides must be your primary insurance


I wonder if this is regional. At least in Massachusetts, where health insurance is required, you do not need to have the employers insurance policy as long as you are covered by a policy. There is a state form to fill out stating you have coverage. Often one spouse has a better plan, so as a family, you use the better plan. The coordination of beneifits clause only is in effect if you have 2 plans. If there is only 1 insurance plan, COB rules doe not apply.

I bet the rules very state by state. Here is CA, I think we have a part of state government that monitors health insurers. California makes up it's own rules as they go, so it 's probably different than both Illinois and Massachusetts.

[Green_Tea]

I wonder if this is regional. At least in Massachusetts, where health insurance is required, you do not need to have the employers insurance policy as long as you are covered by a policy. There is a state form to fill out stating you have coverage. Often one spouse has a better plan, so as a family, you use the better plan. The coordination of beneifits clause only is in effect if you have 2 plans. If there is only 1 insurance plan, COB rules doe not apply.

This is how it is where I live, too. I have never heard of having double coverage - it sounds expensive!

[DebbieJ]

I bet the rules very state by state. Here is CA, I think we have a part of state government that monitors health insurers. California makes up it's own rules as they go, so it 's probably different than both Illinois and Massachusetts.

The experience I described actually happened in CA. I was an Angeleno for 6 years. :)

[o_mom]

If you are both eligible for insurance coverage, you MUST at least take individual coverage for yourself. Your policy will be primary for you, and your DH's policy will be primary for him. You can choose to add your children to either. If you forgo insurance of your own and are only on your DH's insurance, they can DENY all coverage for you via their coordination of benefits clause. You don't want to do that. I had that happen to me. It all got straightened out, but it wasn't fun. (I had insurance but they only ran it through my DH's and discovered the coordination of benefits after the fact, so everything had to be resubmitted) The insurance your employer provides must be your primary insurance.

This is not universal. When I was working, I was always on DH's insurance even though I could get my own insurance. Now they have changed and will charge an extra premium if a spouse is eligible for insurance below a certain rate but does not take it, however, you still have a choice of which insurance to take.