Wiki deductible

[nc_coder]

A patient has pre-paid for their delivery deductible on BCBS. Their employer is changing insurance plans to UHC as of Nov 1- before the baby is due. What happens to all the money they have paid towards the BCBS deductible? Is it transferred to the new plan deductible?

 

[honeybee]

It could depend on the provisions for the new UHC plan as far as if any deductible accumulations under the old carrier will carryover to the new plan. I would think it should but carryover since its just a change by the employer to a new carrier but theres to many variables to just make that assumption. I once worked for a co who switched carriers and they did this weird type of proration of the deductible and you had to meet a cetain amount during a certain time frame in order to account for the switch mid year. As far as if they have paid the deductible ahead of time under the old BCBS plan you may want to check with the difference of fee schedules as well, Im not sure how it is with your particular contracts but we have a huge difference between the amount the patient would owe under BCBS vs. UHC so we would end up possibly owing the patient a refund. In some instances i've also run into issues where the deductible should have carried over but the patient had to call in to request the money be xfered to the new plan by either calling the ins co directly or their HR rep.