Difference of a Secondary Insurance and Supplemental insurance
Do you know if your insurance beyond Medicare is a real SECONDARY ( meaning a real policy, in our case a 40+ year old BCBS where at 65 you sign on to Medicare and if they refuse, the BCBS pays what it always did and is still covered on their policy) or a SUPPLEMENT (meaning it only picks up part of what Medicare approves but is beyond the approved amount)??
We found it out in the past few months -- and last week, a slew of bills came with denials and resubmits to BCBS . So, I got on the phone w/their Customer Service. Found we had true SECONDARY INSURANCE: what was paid prior to Medicare will be paid if on the plan even if not approved by Medicare.... examples of our last week bizarre incidents: one MD who accepts assignment wanted 110% of assignment upfront. [We left, and put a complaint in to medicare; asking above assignment amount is illegal, acc'dg to medicare] However, she would have been paid since we have SECONDARY insurance if medicare denied. Same with a tetanus shot my hubby needed -100% covered under our SECONDARY insurance, but denied by Medicare. I called; it was paid by BCBS.
Please make sure to find out if your insurance is a true SECONDARY . Call and ask them . You may be missing benefits you think you lost. If it is only a SUPPLEMENTAL, then good luck.
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