How to bill two insurance companies?
Asked by: Bettye Ullrich | Last update: January 22, 2026Score: 4.5/5 (9 votes)
How does billing work with two insurances?
Your primary insurance will typically be billed first unless there is a rule under your Coordination of Benefits provision that decides which insurance pays first. Once your primary insurance has done its part, you can then send the bill on to your secondary insurance.
How do you determine which insurance is primary and which is secondary?
The insurance that pays first is called the primary payer. The primary payer pays up to the limits of its coverage. The insurance that pays second is called the secondary payer. The secondary payer only pays if there are costs the primary insurer didn't cover.
Can 2 insurance companies pay on the same claim?
- You don't get to choose which insurer will pay a certain claim. However, if the first insurer doesn't cover a certain treatment, or covers it only partially, you can then submit the remainder of the claim to your secondary insurer for payment, assuming the treatment is covered under the second plan."
Can you use two insurance companies at the same time?
Having dual coverage is perfectly legal. But you must coordinate your two policies correctly to ensure you cover your medical expenses compliantly. If you're new to dual insurance, you've come to the right place!
Billing Secondary Insurances
Do you still pay a copay if you have two insurances?
In most cases their secondary policy will pick up the copay left from the primary insurance. There are some cases where the secondary policy also has a copay and those patients may end up with a copay applied after both insurances process the claim.
Are providers required to bill secondary insurance?
They either pay the coinsurance or they leave it as patient responsibility. When it comes to obligation, it's a courtesy to file secondary if the provider is not credentialed/contracted but in the case were the provider is contracted with the insurance then he/she is contractually obligated to file the insurance.
What is double dipping in insurance?
Insurance Claim Double Dipping
In this scam, fraudsters make identical claims for the same incident at multiple insurance companies to increase their payout.
Can you file a claim with both insurance companies?
In certain situations, it makes sense to file more than one insurance claim after an accident to get fully compensated. The key factor is whether different parties/policies share liability for your damages. For example, consider that you are injured in a car accident caused by another driver's negligence.
What is a double insurance example?
Example of double insurance
Person A has double insurance. She has two supplementary hospital insurance plans with two different health insurers that cover the same risk, plus two accident insurance plans.
How do deductibles work when you have two insurances?
If both plans have deductibles, you'll have to pay both before coverage kicks in. You don't get to choose which health plan is primary, meaning the one that pays first. You don't get to choose which insurer will pay a certain claim.
Will secondary pay if primary denies?
It depends on which insurance is considered “primary” and which is “secondary.” The insurance that pays first (primary payer) pays up to the limits of its coverage. The insurance that pays second (secondary payer) only pays if there are costs the primary insurance didn't cover.
What is the birthday rule?
The rule requires that the parent whose birthday comes first in the calendar year would cover the cost of delivering the new baby regardless of whether one parent has better health coverage for a newborn than the other.
How do you determine which insurance is primary?
Primary insurance — Primary insurance is a health insurance plan that covers a person as an employee, subscriber, or member. Primary insurance is billed first when you receive health care. For example, health insurance you receive through your employer is typically your primary insurance.
What is double billing insurance?
In a double billing scheme, a provider bills multiple times for the same medical services. Sometimes providers bill the same party (e.g., the government) multiple times for the same services. To avoid detection, they can alter the date of the service, its description, or the name of the patient or provider.
What is an example of coordination of benefits?
For example, suppose you visit your doctor and get billed $250 for the appointment. Your primary health plan may cover the majority of the bill. Let's say, for example, that's $200. Then your secondary plan would pay the remaining $50.
Can you be covered by two insurance companies?
Can you have two health insurances? The short answer is yes, you can, and many people do. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, about 43 million people have more than one medical insurance plan. That's about 13% of the population (of the rest, 79% had a single plan, and 8% had none).
Do I need to call the other driver's insurance company?
If you get into a car accident, you are under no obligation to call another driver's insurance company to work out the claim. All you need to do is talk to your insurance provider when you get into an accident or if someone else hits your car, and they will handle the claim on your behalf.
How do I report a claim to another insurance company?
Third-party insurance claim procedure
While you won't be filing the claim with your insurance company, call your insurer as soon as possible to report what happened. Often, they'll file the claim with the driver's insurance company for you, after working with the other insurer to determine fault.
Can you file two insurance claims?
While you cannot file multiple claims against the same party or provider, you can file multiple suits after an auto accident if multiple parties were at fault or if multiple insurance companies maintain coverage or may be responsible, and you suffered injuries or damages as a result.
What is twisting in insurance?
Twisting is also called external replacement and is the practice of inducing a person to drop existing insurance to buy similar coverage with another producer or company. Replacing existing life insurance with a new life insurance policy based upon incomplete or incorrect representation is called twisting.
Can you claim more than one insurance?
As a starting principle, an insured cannot profit from their loss or make a claim twice. However, where a policyholder is insured by multiple policies, they can choose which policy they wish to claim under.
How does billing work with 2 insurances?
When a patient has both primary and secondary insurance, the two plans will work together to make sure they're not paying more than 100% of the bill total. They do this through a “coordination of benefits” or COB. The COB uses various industry regulations to establish which insurance plan is primary and pays first.
Can a provider bill under another provider?
Billing under another provider's name and NPI without complying with Medicare's strict requirements can carry significant penalties, violate commercial payer contracts and subject an organization or physician to criminal liability under federal law.
What happens to my younger wife when I go on Medicare?
Medicare is individual insurance, so spouses cannot be on the same Medicare plan together. Now, if your spouse is eligible for Medicare, then he or she can get their own Medicare plan.