Tip: Ensure insurance with assurance

Many Medicare recipients also have other types of health insurance coverage. When you file a claim, there are "coordination of benefits" rules that decide whether Medicare or your other insurer pays first. For example, if you are on the group policy of a spouse who works at a company with 20 or more employees, the group policy pays first and then Medicare pays its share.

Medicare advises recipients to tell their health providers about all the insurance they have so bills can be sent to the right payer, which will avoid delays. To sort out the confusion, Medicare offers the free booklet "Who Pays First." Go to medicare.gov/Publications and type "who pays first" in the keyword box (not the search box). The publication is only available online.

You also can get help by calling the Medicare Coordination of Benefits Contractor at 800-999-1118.