Insurance basics
Which of your plans pays first?
When someone has more than one kind of coverage, the order of payment is set by rule — the birthday rule for children, Medicare Secondary Payer rules for anyone with Medicare, payer-of-last-resort rules for Medicaid, and injury coverage ahead of all of it. Get that order wrong and a clean claim gets denied. This tool walks the rules with you and gives you a summary you can hand to a billing office.
Coordination of Benefits: who pays first?
When a patient has more than one kind of coverage, federal and state rules — not the hospital — decide which one pays first. Answer a few questions and you will get the expected order, the rule behind each position, and a summary you can print for the billing office.
Nothing you enter is saved or sent anywhere. No names, member IDs, or bill amounts are collected, and your answers disappear when you close this page.
Is this coverage active today?
Knowing which plan pays first only helps if the plan is still active on the day of care. Answer five questions and get a step-by-step plan to confirm it — who to call, what to ask, and what to write down.
Nothing you enter is saved or sent anywhere. No names, member IDs, or dates of birth are collected — the questions are deliberately coarse.
Electronic verification (coming soon)
Real-time eligibility checks use an X12 270/271 exchange with the payer through a clearinghouse. The connection is not enabled here yet, so this page gives you the manual route — which produces the same answer, in writing, with a reference number.
Educational information only — this is not an eligibility determination. Eligibility for VA health care, TRICARE, Medicare, Medicaid, and Marketplace coverage depends on your individual circumstances and official program rules, which can change. Confirm your own eligibility and coverage with the official source or the agency directly.