Primary vs secondary insurance

I noticed when comparing ins on insuremytrip.com that one ins company stated that the policy was only effective after primary insurance has been used.

 

Quote - Secondary Coverage means that this coverage will be paid after any other Primary collectible insurance has paid the claim and the Primary policy limits have been exhausted.

 

I'm sure I will have to call to find out tomorrow (this morning) - but what if someone doesn't have any primary insurance? Do I need a primary in order for the ins to be valid? :confused:

You'd have to look at the policy text. In the US anyway, annual plans often require primary coverage, one-time plans generally do not.

If the insurance has Medical component then you have to claim through your medical plan then once paid/denied then you submit to the insurance

 

Some will tell you to claim lost /damaged baggage through your home owners policy

 

I try to get Primary travel ins

The general assumption is that you have a health insurance plan that they would require to pay before travel coverage would kick in.

 

The catch, to me, is that it seems most healthcare providers in the Caribbean, Mexico and the Bahamas will require you to pay them before treatment or before you leave. This would mean you hand over a credit card. When you get home you file claims with you primary health insurance to repay YOU and once they pay, you file with your travel insurance.

 

I would just buy travel insurance that paid primary and cut out one time consuming stressful step.

T

I would just buy travel insurance that paid primary and cut out one time consuming stressful step.

 

 

Most insurance companies will not pay the cruise line in advance you must pay then get reimbursed when you submit the claim

 

Be sure to read & clarify the fine print of payments ;)

There is always a catch someplace

However, there are times when secondary coverage for travel insurance is actually preferable to primary....that is when your primary coverage medical does pay part of the costs AND you have copays and deductibles with your primary medical coverage.

 

If your primary medical pays nothing (such as Medicare), then this is not of concern. But if your primary medical covers you outside the U.S., you need to be aware of how the copays and deductibles are calculated.

 

See this discussion:

https://tripinsurancestore.com/how-primary-and-secondary-travel-insurance-medical-coverage-works/

However, there are times when secondary coverage for travel insurance is actually preferable to primary....that is when your primary coverage medical does pay part of the costs AND you have copays and deductibles with your primary medical coverage.

 

 

I may have misunderstood the question but I thought the OP was asking about buying Primary travel insurance or Secondary travel insurance :confused:

He is asking beacuse he does not have primary. In that case, does it matter what kind of travel insurance you get?

Primary vs. secondary (for a travel policy) probably does not matter if one does not have a primary medical policy.

I may have misunderstood the question but I thought the OP was asking about buying Primary travel insurance or Secondary travel insurance :confused:

Probably just a misunderstanding because of differences in Canadian and US medical insurance programs, LOL. Not everyone in the US has medical insurance, and those that do have a huge variety of coverages, copays, deductibles and area limits. How these policies pay out can impact how (or if) your travel policy pays out.

Probably just a misunderstanding because of differences in Canadian and US medical insurance programs, LOL. Not everyone in the US has medical insurance, and those that do have a huge variety of coverages, copays, deductibles and area limits. How these policies pay out can impact how (or if) your travel policy pays out.

 

I guess that could be

We have Provincial health care ...we submit medical claims there then when they deny or pay a partial payment we submit to our secondary out of Country insurer

They should pay any difference

I was thinking the US was similar ...me bad :o

I was able to speak to a rep today from Insuremytrip.com and it was confirmed that the secondary insurance becomes primary if the customer does NOT have any primary - EXCEPT for GeoBlue - which requires the customer to have primary insurance.

 

I'm happy with what I chose and the cost and feel comfortable should anything happen to my 79 year old husband or myself.

 

Thanks to everyone on the thread that replied.

I was able to speak to a rep today from Insuremytrip.com and it was confirmed that the secondary insurance becomes primary if the customer does NOT have any primary - EXCEPT for GeoBlue - which requires the customer to have primary insurance.

 

I'm happy with what I chose and the cost and feel comfortable should anything happen to my 79 year old husband or myself.

 

Thanks to everyone on the thread that replied.

 

Good you got the answers needed & hope you have a safe trip

 

Lyn

I guess that could be

We have Provincial health care ...we submit medical claims there then when they deny or pay a partial payment we submit to our secondary out of Country insurer

They should pay any difference

I was thinking the US was similar ...me bad :o

 

That is substantially how it works in U.S. for people on Medicare. Many (most ?) retirees have Medicare coverage and many of us have an additional policy which covers us for things Medicare does not. I buy out of country medical coverage as Medicare will not pay, with a few exceptions, outside U.S.

 

I guess that could be. We have Provincial health care. We submit medical claims there, then when they deny or pay a partial payment, we submit to our secondary out of Country insurer. They should pay any difference. I was thinking the US was similar. me bad

 

No worries. NOBODY understands "OBAMA-CARE." :eek: