Can I have dual coverage for braces?

The answer is yes in most cases but there are a few rules insurance companies follow when determining primary vs. secondary and you want to make sure your plan allows for standard coordination of benefits. The birthday rule determines whose plan is primary and looks at what month the person is born in. For example if mom’s birthday is 2/14/73 and dad’s birthday is 11/20/1968, mom’s plan, in most cases, would be considered the primary insurance plan because her birthday falls first in the calendar year.

Overall age or who is older does not generally determine who is primary. Be sure to ask if your plan allows for standard coordination of benefits or has a non-duplicating clause. A non-duplicating clause means benefits will not be duplicated. So if both plans have a LTM of $1500 then with a non-duplicating clause your total benefit is $1500. When coordination of benefits is allowed your benefit could be as high as $3000 if the LTM for both plans is $1500.