Physician fees, prescriptions, and other non-covered costs can be significant if you have a catastrophic illness. Depending on your situation, you may want to purchase a secondary health insurance policy. Commercial insurance companies offer secondary insurance for anyone with a specific type of disease or healthcare need.
For example, Aon (www.aon.com) offers secondary insurance for several conditions including:
- cancer
- heart attack
- stroke
- heart surgery
Secondary health insurance is available for children with special needs through Medicaid. These insurance plans cover services that are not covered or only partially covered by the primary insurer, such as:
- special therapies
- medical equipment
- supplies
- devices
- transportation.
You should consider secondary insurance if your out-of-pocket costs are too high (measured against the additional premium payment), or if you have a significant acute or chronic condition.
Secondary insurance policies are usually purchased by Medicare patients who are not HMO members. These patients purchase something called a Medigap insurance plan that covers costs they would otherwise need to pay out-of-pocket. In general, to purchase a Medigap plan, you must have Medicare Part A and Part B. Many private insurance companies offer Medigap plans, all of which must be standardized and follow strict federal and state laws designed to protect you. Medicare offers an informational booklet through its Web site (www.medicare.gov) to help you choose the best Medigap plan for you.
Ruthann Russo, PhD, JD, MPH, RHIT, is a healthcare expert with more than 20 years of experience working in and advising healthcare organizations.
