Is there any scenario where being on two insurance plans would cost me more?

[destinite]

I started my first job and am also on my parent's (excellent) health insurance. The new job has employer-sponsored plans - I would pay $0 in premiums - or I can waive it and only have my parent's insurance.

The only thing I am worried about covering is my 2x/week therapy which would be out of network for insurances. As I understand it:

Currently-
Therapy costs $100
Insurance P pays 60% of $100 ($60)
I owe $40

If I take the job insurance and stay on my parents-
Therapy costs $100
Insurance B pays 50% of $100 ($50)
Insurance P pays 60% of ($50)
I owe $30

Is that correct, assuming all deductibles have been hit?

 

[alissah]

@destinite It won't be that "clean" but that would be the general gist. When doing a COB (coordination of benefits) with two insurances the interaction on the provider side will consist of "how much do we think this is worth" and then reimburse accordingly based on contracts. On the client end you won't necessarily see a difference but you WILL have to keep up with it because insurance companies notoriously get COBs wrong when using 2 insurance plans. So while it may not financially cost more, it may cost you more time and energy sorting out issues with billing.

Also, in order to recoup these benefits fully, whoever you see has to be INN with both plans. Otherwise you are attempting OON with at least one of them.

 

[mountaintrip98]

@destinite Cob Types vary. Under the most common type (hard-non-dupe) the secondary processes the claim agnostic of the primary, reduces it's payment by any payment made by the primary, and you are responsible for the lesser of two cost sharing amounts. In your case with out-of-network providers, the primary would pay you $50. The secondary would normally pay you $60, but since you've been paid $50 already, instead pays you $10. So you wind up owing the lesser of the two cost sharing amounts, $40

If it sounds like it's not worth it to have insurance- that's normally the case unless the secondary covers something you need like a specific medication or assisted reproduction that the primary does not.