Medicare and personal insurance

[pennstater]

I now have Medicare, but declined Part B since fortunate to be on husband's insurance. My personal insurance is primary.

When you have doctor's visits, tests, therapy,etc..., Do you give them both your personal insurance and Medicare? Do they then bill both and does it affect your copay?

Novice to all of this.
Thanks.

[Kimba22]

Hi Kathy,

Medicare Part A doesn't cover any of that anyway, so sharing this info with your outpatient providers isn't really necessary (since it won't gain anyone anything). These services will all fall under your husband's insurance. If this is shared, just be aware that some providers might then assume just because you have Medicare (regardless of the info you share with them ), it is your primary insurance and try billing them first. Only delays when they'll get paid. (Have had this happen more than once, after my hospital records - because of a hospitalization - showed I has Medicare. Since then, it's come up with providers out of the same hospital. Must be because of electronic records they are all linked into with the hospital. Didn't matter it was just Part A.)

Part A (Hospital Insurance) - covers most medically necessary hospital, skilled nursing facility, home health, and hospice care. It is free if you have worked and paid Social Security taxes for at least 40 calendar quarters (10 years); you will pay a monthly premium if you have worked and paid taxes for less time.

Part B (Medical Insurance) - covers most medically necessary doctors’ services, preventive care, durable medical equipment, hospital outpatient services, laboratory tests, x-rays, mental health care, and some home health and ambulance services. You pay a monthly premium for this coverage.

http://www.medicareinteractive.org/g...ts-a-b-c-and-d

[DogMa]

After a period of time without private insurance, now I have my husband's insurance through his employer, plus Medicare A&B, plus a third as a result of a 'situation' with Medicare several years ago. Thankfully the combination pays most all of my healthcare costs. Even though I have to pay for some of that coverage, I believe it has been worth every penny since several surgeries (including home health care afterward), a number of ER visits (they were impressive falls), routine PCP visits and those inevitable Neuro/MRI costs have been covered with almost nothing paid out of pocket. Thank goodness!

All I really have had to worry about is that all providers record and bill the insurance companies in the proper order. In my case, it's private insurance, then Medicare, then 3rd party coverage.

[pennstater]

Thanks Kinda and DogMa. Sometimes my memory gets me. I did know what Part A, B, And D cover. But for some reason, I started thinking Part B was Part A...the joys of MS cognitive issues.