This is important: Primary (First Payer) isn’t better than Secondary (Excess), although it’s sold that way. The only difference is the order in which the medical claims are paid. Our Secondary plans don’t require you to have any other medical coverage. And, if you get a plan with Primary medical and are under age 65 when traveling, you’re generally better off filing your medical claim with your regular insurance first. Also, it’s a lot less expensive to get medical treatment outside the USA than you think.

What Does Primary (First Payer) or Secondary (Excess) Medical Coverage Mean & How Do They Differ?

Primary (First Payer) Medical Coverage means your medical bills are paid from the first dollar. No “coordination of benefit” claim forms need to be filed. You need to know that many travel insurance plans with primary (First Payer) medical benefits will still ask on the claim forms if you have other medical insurance. If you answer “yes”, they will likely submit your claim to your other insurance first and process your claim as Secondary coverage. All our companies say the answer should be “no” if they want it processed as primary.

Primary (First Payer) Medical Coverage works best if your medical claim is less than the coverage amount. That’s because your travel insurance will pay the claim up to its limit. But, when the Primary travel insurance benefits are exhausted, your other insurance won’t count your deductibles and co-pays as paid.

For example, here’s what happens if you have a $70,000 medical claim with a travel insurance plan that has $50,000 Primary (First Payer) coverage:

1. You submit the $70,000 medical claim to the travel insurance. It pays $50,000 (its maximum)
2. You submit the remaining $20,000 to your medical insurance plan. Let’s say it has a $5,000 deductible with a 20% copay.
3. Of this $20,000, your medical insurance plan pays $12,000 and you will be liable for at least that $8,000 ($5,000 deductible & $3,000 copay). You could be liable for more. Keep in mind if your travel insurance pays primary to the providers, those medical providers do not have to apply the Blue Cross discount so the billed charges may be quite higher. I would check carefully and call your Blue Cross customer service number on the back of your ID card before you make a decision.

Secondary Medical Coverage means your medical bills are paid after any other coverage you have pays its share. This means that Secondary coverage will pay all deductibles, out-of-pocket expenses and co-pays up to its coverage limit. The only real drawback to a Secondary Medical plan is that it can be a lot of extra time-consuming paperwork, made worse by complicated prescription benefits.

For example, here’s what happens if you have a $5,000 medical claim with a travel insurance plan that has $25,000 Secondary coverage:

• You submit the $5,000 medical claim to your medical insurance plan with a $1,000 deductible and a 20% copay
• You get your medical EOB (explanation of benefits)
• You submit the amounts shown as “Patient’s Responsibility” to the travel insurance. Unless you already satisfied some or all your deductibles, you’ll be claiming payment for $1,800 (20% of the $4,000 plus $1,000 medical deductible).

Here’s a little detail that’s good to know: You probably will have to pay your medical bills yourself while on your trip. That’s because trip cancellation travel insurance plans are “indemnification” plans (you will be reimbursed – indemnified) after your trip by the insurance company. Trip cancellation travel insurance is not a “pay on behalf of” plan. You don’t just give the medical facility a card. In some cases, a few companies can advance payment to the medical facility, but it’s on a case-by-case basis.

Here’s another little detail that’s good to know: Secondary coverage assumes you have other coverage that’s Primary. If you have no other coverage Secondary, in effect, becomes Primary.

How Much Emergency Medical Coverage is Enough?

There are a few things you need to find out before you settle on an amount of Emergency Medical / Dental and Emergency Medical Transportation coverage. Keep in mind that it’s a lot less expensive to get medical treatment outside the USA than you think.

• What other coverage do you have? If you’re a US Citizen & have Medicare, Medicare doesn’t cover you outside the USA. You’ll also find more detailed information on Medigap Policies C – N below. If you have a Medigap or Supplement, you will need a plan with Primary Medical.
• If you have a Medicare Advantage plan or not Medicare, call your insurance company and ask this: “If I get hit by a cement truck in Europe (or another destination), how much will I have to pay out of pocket?”

A common myth is that Primary plans cost more than Secondary plans. The actual cost of Travel Insurance is based on your age, trip cost and trip length. Some Primary plans are less expensive than Secondary plans at certain ages and vice versa for other ages.

One more thing to be aware of is that the emergency medical transportation portion of a policy doesn’t pay for the medical treatment. That’s covered under the emergency medical portion of the travel insurance policy.

Important Information About Medigap Policies C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J, K, L, M & N Your Medigap (Medicare Supplement) plan may provide worldwide coverage benefits for health care needs when you travel outside the United States. Medigap policies C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J, K, L, M & N provide Foreign Travel Emergency health care coverage when you travel outside the United States. Under these plans, Medigap policies pay for 80% of the cost of emergency care during the first 60 days of each trip after you pay the $250 deductible. Foreign Travel Emergency coverage with Medigap policies have a lifetime limit of $50,000. You should check with your Medicare Supplement plan prior to traveling outside of the United States regarding your worldwide coverage benefits. Your Medicare Supplement plan will either tell you: “We pay whatever Medicare won’t pay, subject to deductibles & copays.” or “If Medicare’s not obligated to pay, we won’t pay either.” Here’s why you’ll want to know how your Medigap plan pays: If your Medigap plan has a lifetime limit of $50,000 of medical benefits paid, I (Steve) suggest you get a trip cancellation travel insurance plan that has Primary Medical coverage. That way if you have a medical claim you are not using part of your lifetime limit. But, if your Medigap plan gives you more than the $50,000 lifetime limit, I (Steve) suggest you get a trip cancellation travel insurance plan that has Secondary Medical coverage. Or, get a plan with Primary Medical coverage and file a medical claim with your other insurance first.

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PPS - Even though TripInsuranceStore.com is the world's most informative travel insurance website, you are still responsible to know the coverage terms, conditions, limitations, and exclusions of your plan. No comments or explanations confirm or deny coverage. You need to refer to each plan's policy wording.

PPPS - The Trip Cancellation coverage begins at 12:01 a.m. on the day after the date the policy is purchased. All other coverages begin when you leave home for your trip when your departure date is in the future.

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