Monday, June 1, 2015
Harry: You seem grumpy today, Tom.
Tom: I got another coordination of benefits questionnaire from the medical plan yesterday. It seems like I just did one a couple of weeks ago.
Maria: Yeah, why do they send those things out so often?
Tom: This one said it was from Lehigh—something about making sure the right medical plan pays first if anyone in the family’s covered by more than one plan.
Maria: Then what was the earlier one about?
Tom: The first one was to see if my 25 year old son had any medical coverage of his own; but he lost that when his job ended more than a year ago.
Harry: Yes, I got one when my wife hurt her ankle while running.
Maria: You’d think the plan would keep up with that stuff better.
Harry: Maybe that’s why they send out the forms when they do, because there’s no other way for them to know if anything about your medical coverage has changed.
Email has greatly reduced the number of letters we get in our mailboxes, but sometimes it seems that what remains is 75 percent junk mail and 25 percent insurance forms.
But Harry is right. You receive multiple coordination of benefits forms from Capital Blue Cross (CBC) during the year because things change. The only way to ensure that your medical benefits are in line with your situation is to ask you. That’s also why your doctor asks you for your insurance card and if your personal information is up to date every time you visit.
We hope that relieves a little of your frustration at receiving multiple forms. But we also want to help you understand the difference between the two types of coordination of benefits forms you may receive.
Type One: The Annual Questionnaire