insurance questions

Hello.  I currently have Mercy HMO through the state of missouri.  I have had to go through so much regarding getting approved it's horrible.  I fear that i will be denied once again.  I really want to have the surgery and i've done everything that they require but i keep getting the run around.  I am thinking of getting another full time job, and taking the other job's insurance as my primary provider and then listing mercy has my secondary insurance.  I would have 2 full time jobs, with 2 different insurances.  My question is can i do something like that?  The second job i would get...their insurance is simpler and i would get surgery rather quickly, but it's not a job i want to stay at for long term.  I love being an LPN at the state.  I just can't quit and come back, i would lose senority, vestments, and my day shift position which i need for my family.  I basically am taking on the second full time job to get surgery and then i plan on quitting that job.  but i have a ton of questions... can i have 2 major insurances like that? once i have the surgery from the county insurance...will my mercy insurance cover illness related to havign the surgery, since mercy wouldn't be the one paying for it??   if anyone can help me i would appreciate it.  thanks Lisa

Lisa i dont have any idea about whether you can or cant do what you are suggesting but maybe if you call your surgeons office and ask the insurance people there they could tell you what would be your best plan of action.  We do have some people on here that is knowlegable about insurance and things like that if i can rouse them to come answer you i will ok?  Welcome to the board and hope you keep coming back. 

The way this all works is your state insurance would be your primary, the other secondary since you have had the State insurance LONGER... BUT WAIT if you have 2 insurances and the first one denies payment then the SECOND insurance picks it up as long as you have met all their requirements. I have Aetna as primary and BCBS secondary. Since the hospital I will be having the surgery at is not in network for Aetna they will not cover any of it. So I submitted a letter to Aetna asking for the surgery and got a denial letter back. So since I have a denial letter from Aetna, BCBS then has to pick up the cost of the surgery as long as I meet all of the requirements of BCBS. Hope this helps let me know if you need more help understanding.

Lisa,  Here's what I have learned working in insurance.......... You can NOT CHOOSE which one will be your primary, the ins companies have rules and will determine that themselves...most likely your ins you had first will have to be primary. However, if they deny your surgery, then the other may pick up the costs. You need to find out if they use "standard coordination of beneifts" or "non-duplication" in determining what they will pay for. IF this is a GROUP plan through your employer, it's likely there are no pre-existing clauses so they can't deny you coverage for already being in the process. As for jsut choosing to try to get the 2nd to pay, you'll likely HAVE TO HAVE a denial from the first ins(primary ins) before the secondary will even consider it. It's a PAIN for sure but by haivng 2 insurances, depending on the types of policies, you may end up with 100% coverage between the two of them. However, some secondary have rules that say they won't pay what you primary considers co-pays, etc..(non-duplication)....it's technical and you need to call each one and ASK lots of questions and take down the name and phone ext. of WHO you talk to and on what date, and if possible get answers in WRITING! They have a way of not documenting what you talk about and then tryign to get out of paying.......I deal with them on a daily basis. Good luck!!!

thanks everyone for all the suggestions.  I will keep everyone updated on what is happening with me.  I have already been denied by Mercy and they are becoming a pain to deal with.  I just hope that this secondary insurance will pay for the surgery.  Like i said i will keep everyone updated.  Lisa