Brian and all - I really appreciate your insights and am hoping you can shed light on my situation. Summary:
I worked at Company A for ten years and obtained health insurance as a benefit. My wife was covered as a beneficiary. (If it matters, Group Health Plan A was/is fully-insured.)
Recently I moved to Company B and immediately obtained health insurance as a benefit. My wife became covered as a beneficiary. (If it matters, Group Health Plan B is self-funded.)
Subsequently my wife elected COBRA continuation coverage under Group Health Plan A. (Reason, if it matters: She needed immediate inpatient care, had already received prior authorization from the first insurer, and did not want to delay treatment while the hospital sought prior authorization from the second insurer. And I switched jobs so that I would have greater flexibility to care for her upon her discharge and during her long recovery.)
Now both insurers are claiming to be secondary! What is my best course of action? Are the insurance companies and providers likely to work this out amongst themselves? (If it matters, the hospital and providers are fully in-network relative to both insurance plans.)
My understanding after reading the above-referenced NAIC Model COB Rules / Drafting Note is that COBRA would probably be secondary in our situation. Specifically, I think my wife is "covered under a right of continuation as a qualified beneficiary who, on the day before a qualifying event, was covered under the group health plan as a dependent of an employee". Am I missing anything?
Thank you and kind regards,
Alan
Reference: https://content.naic.org/sites/default/files/inline-files/MDL-120.pdf
