Insurance and billing
Primary insurance
Also called secondary insurance, primary plan
The plan that pays first when a patient has more than one plan.
The primary plan is the one that pays first on a claim when a patient has two or more plans. The secondary plan may then pay part of what is left. Which plan is primary depends on rules set out by the plans, and they are not always obvious, especially for children. Getting the order wrong can cause a denial and a delay, so ask the patient about all coverage at check-in.
Example at the front desk
His own plan is primary, so I sent the claim there first.