Can I designate primary and secondary health coverage myself?

Yes, in most cases, you can designate primary and secondary health coverage for yourself. This is commonly done when you have coverage under more than one health insurance plan, such as through your employer and your spouse's employer, or through Medicare and a private insurance plan. To designate primary and secondary health coverage, you will need to provide this information to each insurance company. Generally, the insurance company that has been designated as the primary payer will be responsible for paying the bulk of the medical bills, while the secondary payer will cover any remaining expenses. When designating primary and secondary coverage, it's important to understand the coordination of benefits rules that apply. These rules outline how the two insurance plans will work together to pay for your medical expenses and ensure that you don't receive more benefits than you are entitled to. Some common coordination of benefits rules include:

• The primary payer will pay its portion of the bill first, and then the secondary payer will cover any remaining expenses up to the limits of their plan.
• The primary payer will pay its portion of the bill, and the secondary payer will cover the difference up to the limits of their plan.
• If you have dependent coverage under two plans, the plan of the parent whose birthday comes first in the calendar year is usually designated as the primary payer.

It's important to carefully review the coordination of benefits rules for each plan to ensure that you are getting the maximum coverage available and avoiding any potential gaps in coverage. In summary, you can usually designate primary and secondary health coverage for yourself if you have coverage under more than one health insurance plan. It's important to understand the coordination of benefits rules that apply and to provide this information to each insurance company to ensure that your medical expenses are covered correctly.