What are the circumstance when Medicare is secondary.

Insurance Primary to Medicare - Circumstances under which Medicare payment may be secondary to other insurance include:

• Group Health Plan Coverage
o Working Aged;
o Disability (Large Group Health Plan); and
o End Stage Renal Disease;

• No Fault and/or Other Liability; and

Entering secondary insurance information on primary Medicare cliam

Item 9 - Enter the last name, first name, and middle initial of the enrollee in a Medigap policy if it is different from that shown in item 2. Otherwise, enter the word SAME. If no Medigap benefits are assigned, leave blank. This field may be used in the future for supplemental insurance plans.

NOTE: Only participating physicians and suppliers are to complete item 9 and its subdivisions and only when the beneficiary wishes to assign his/her benefits under a MEDIGAP policy to the participating physician or supplier..
Participating physicians and suppliers must enter information required in item 9 and its subdivisions if requested by the beneficiary. Participating physicians/suppliers sign an agreement with Medicare to accept assignment of Medicare benefits for all Medicare patients. A claim for which a beneficiary elects to assign his/her benefits under a Medigap policy to a participating physician/supplier is called a mandated Medigap transfer.

Medigap - Medigap policy meets the statutory definition of a "Medicare supplemental policy" contained in §1882(g)(1) of title XVIII of the Social Security Act (the Act) and the definition contained in the NAIC Model Regulation that is incorporated by reference to the statute. It is a health insurance policy or other health benefit plan offered by a private entity to those persons entitled to Medicare benefits and is specifically designed to supplement Medicare benefits. It fills in some of the "gaps" in Medicare coverage by providing payment for some of the charges for which Medicare does not have responsibility due to the applicability of deductibles, coinsurance amounts, or other limitations imposed by Medicare. It does not include limited benefit coverage available to Medicare beneficiaries such as "specified disease" or "hospital indemnity" coverage. Also, it explicitly excludes a policy or plan offered by an employer to employees or former employees, as well as that offered by a labor organization to members or former members.

Do not list other supplemental coverage in item 9 and its subdivisions at the time a Medicare claim is filed. Other supplemental claims are forwarded automatically to the private insurer if the private insurer contracts with the carrier to send Medicare claim information electronically. If there is no such contract, the beneficiary must file his/her own supplemental claim.

Item 9a - Enter the policy and/or group number of the Medigap insured preceded by MEDIGAP, MG, or MGAP.

NOTE: Item 9d must be completed, even when the provider enters a policy and/or group number in item 9a.
 

Item 9b - Enter the Medigap insured's 8-digit birth date (MM | DD | CCYY) and sex.

Item 9c - Leave blank if a Medigap PayerID is entered in item 9d. Otherwise, enter the claims processing address of the Medigap insurer. Use an abbreviated street address, two-letter postal code, and ZIP code copied from the Medigap insured's Medigap identification card. For example:
 

1257 Anywhere Street
Baltimore, MD 21204
is shown as "1257 Anywhere St. MD 21204."
 

Item 9d - Enter the 9-digit PAYERID number of the Medigap insurer. If no PAYERID number exists, then enter the Medigap insurance program or plan name.

If the beneficiary wants Medicare payment data forwarded to a Medigap insurer through the Medigap claim-based crossover process, the participating provider of service or supplier must accurately complete all of the information in items 9, 9a, 9b, and 9d.

A Medicare participating provider or supplier shall only enter the COBA Medigap claim-based ID within item 9d when seeking to have the beneficiary’s claim crossed over to a Medigap insurer. If a participating provider or supplier enters the PAYERID or the Medigap insurer program or its plan name within item 9d, the Medicare Part B contractor or Durable Medical Equipment Medicare Administrative Contractor (DMAC) will be unable to forward the claim information to the Medigap insurer prior to October 1, 2007, or to the Coordination of Benefits Contractor (COBC) for transfer to the Medicare insurer on or after October 1, 2007.

Secondary claim submission

General Insurance Information - Billing Your Secondary Insurance Company

Secondary Insurance Billing

Secondary billing is a necessary component to any healthcare organization; yet in order to receive every secondary dollar owed, many organizations are forced to invest valuable time and resources that can cost far more than the benefit of the secondary dollars themselves.

Billing Your Secondary Insurance Company

General Insurance Information - Billing Your Secondary Insurance Company

Determining Primary or Secondary

When you have two insurance companies that provide coverage for you, it is important they know about each other. Initially when you receive coverage from a second insurance, be sure to call both insurance companies and inform them of the other policy. During this phone call, it’s important to provide them with the name of t he insurance company, your ID number, and who the subscriber is on the policy. At this time they will be able to determine which coverage will be primary or secondary.