No matter how many times I’ve corrected the errors, depending on who checks me in, I have to fix it again. I have Blue Cross/Blue Shield (BCBS) as my primary insurance and since I’m on Social Security I also have Medicare. You may be asking why is BCBS primary? Because the named insured is still working and her employer has more the 50 employees (closer to about 1200), and the law says it’s the primary.
A receptionist at one of my doctor’s office December a year ago assumed Medicare was my primary and checked me in as such without asking me diddly squat. Her assumption got me kicked off a program that was paying the $1500 for my eye injection because that program doesn’t cover Medicare recipients. It took 2 months to straighten out her assumption. I never did get back on the original program, but the doctor’s group helped me get on another program that you have to re-apply for every year. The receptionist’s assumption could have been extremely costly. I won’t go in to how she doubled down on her assumption when challenged.
At several of my other doctor’s office upon check-in when the receptionist comes to a Medicare question and I reply that BCBS is primary, I get challenged. One even asked; “How does that work?” The details get into personal information that’s none of her business. All she needs to know is that under the law, BCBS is primary.
Why is it important that BCBS is primary? Prescriptions and coverage. Medicare is not a cure-all. Medicare Advantage(MA), as people are finding out, has pitfalls that can be extremely expensive. You have to ask yourself, how is it that one of the MA programs offers a card with a monthly allowance that one can spend on groceries? Groceries are cheaper than covering medical expenses. Somebody is denied coverage on a needed procedure to pay for those groceries. Plus the theory of large numbers. See here, here, and here.
There’s a reason why the saying of what assuming does. Assume makes an Ass out of U and Me.