09/28/2025
⚠️ Stop! Are you collecting copays from patients with Commercial Primary and Medicaid Secondary insurance? You shouldn't be.
This is one of the most common—and most risky—billing mistakes private practices make.
When a patient has dual coverage (Commercial primary, Medicaid secondary), the Medicaid Payer of Last Resort rule kicks in. This means:
The Commercial plan pays their portion.
The remaining copay, deductible, or coinsurance is billed to Medicaid.
Medicaid evaluates the claim. If the primary payment meets or exceeds Medicaid’s allowed fee, the patient's remaining liability is legally zeroed out.
If you collect that copay, you are engaging in improper balance billing, which violates your Medicaid provider agreement and puts your practice at risk for audits and fines.
The Fix is Simple:
Front Desk: Verify both insurances and inform the patient they will have no copay today.
Billing: Bill Commercial first, then ensure the claim crosses over correctly to Medicaid.
Post-Payment: Write off the remaining patient balance after Medicaid processes the claim. Do not send a statement.
Protect your practice's compliance and revenue. Don't let this simple billing error cost you thousands.
👉 Read the full guide on how to handle dual-eligibility claims correctly https://www.beinrev.com/post/medicaid-as-secondary-do-you-ever-collect-a-copay
The Surprising Truth About Medicaid & Commercial Copays It's a common scenario. A patient shows up for an appointment with two insurance cards: a commercial plan as primary and a Medicaid card as secondary. The commercial EOB (Explanation of Benefits) comes back, showing a $30 copay and a $150 remai...