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- The group number for your health insurance policy is the designation for the group plan you are covered under
- This is usually a group of your coworkers in a plan administered by your employer
- It can refer to a family plan purchased by a self-employed person
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The group number of your health insurance policy is required information whenever you receive health care. You will need to have this information to fill out paperwork before nearly any visit to a healthcare provider, especially if it is the first time that you have been to that provider.
Without your group number, your health care provider will not be able to process your insurer’s payment for the services. They might not even offer you treatment unless your condition is very serious. This means it is very important for you to have the group number for your health insurance policy.
Most the time it is not difficult to find your group number. Usually, it is listed on the front of your health insurance card.
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How to Find the Group Number on Your Health Insurance Card
The vast majority of health insurance cards have the group number listed on the front. It is generally clearly marked, usually with the words “group number” and a colon, then the number. Sometimes, only the word “group” is listed for the number.
Rarely, the number will be on the front the card without any clear identification that it is the group number. You can figure out that it is your group number through the process of elimination, as all the other information on the health insurance card is likely clearly marked.
It is unlikely that your group health insurance number will be on the back of your card, as all the most important information is listed on the front of the card.
Finding Your Group Number on Your Policy Documents
If you don’t have your health insurance card or you can’t find your group number on the card you do have, the next step is to check your policy documents. Usually, the group number of the policy is listed in a prominent place in the documents.
In fact, it is often listed on the first page. If it is not on the first page, you may have to hunt around for a little bit. Keep in mind that the group number for your policy is very important information, so it is worth the time you have to spend to hunt it down.
Going on Your Insurer’s Website to Find Your Group Number
If you can’t find the number on your card or you don’t have your card and you’re having trouble finding the number in your policy documents, you may want to check on your health insurer’s website.
Most health insurers these days have websites that their policyholders can log into and view information specific to their policy.
The information displayed on the website usually includes the group number for the policy.
Calling Your Insurer to Get the Info You Need
If all else fails, you can always call your health insurer to get your group number directly from them. Many people consider this to be a last resort, as health insurance usually have automated systems you have to get through plus long holding times.
However, this way it can be assured that you’ll get the right information. You may have to wait a little while to get it, but knowing the correct group number for health insurance policy is very important.
Make sure to write the number down once the customer service representative tells you what it is. You don’t want to forget it out after having gone through a lot of hassle to get it in the first place.
What the Group Number for Your Health Insurance Policy Means
The group number for your health insurance policy, as you might expect, refers to the number for the group plan you are a part of. This group plan usually includes you and the other employees of the company you work at. It may not include everybody or company, but only all the people at your company who are on the same plan.
Either way, you don’t necessarily need to know exactly what the group number means. You just need to have it when you are asked for it.
Group Numbers for Coverage under COBRA
Many people are confused as to whether their group number will remain the same after they leave the job if they are covered same health insurance plan under COBRA.
The short answer is yes, the group number will remain the same because you are still covered in the same plan you had when you were an employee of your former company.
This is true even if your employer does not contribute in any way to your premiums. As long as you stay on that same plan you will have the same group number.
Self-Employed People Getting a Health Insurance Policy with a Group Number
Self-employed people often have health insurance policies with group numbers. This may seem counterintuitive, as usually group numbers are reserved for group plans administered by the employer. However, if a self-employed person signs up for a family plan they can get a group number.
If the self-employed person does not have a group number with their policy, this is not a big deal. It’s only a problem when someone who does have a group number doesn’t know their number. Self-employed people don’t have to worry about this, and they don’t have any trouble getting health care as long as they know their policy number.
Final Thoughts
In conclusion, it is very important to know your group number if you have one. Most people who have a plan through their employer have a group number. They will need to know this number when they are filling out paperwork at their healthcare provider.
Self-employed people may not have a group number, but this is not a problem. It will not prevent them from getting health care. Group numbers can usually be found on the health insurance card, and they can be found out by calling the insurer if they are not on the card.
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[su_spoiler title=”References:” icon=”caret-square” style=”fancy” open=”yes”]
- https://fairhealthconsumer.org/images/Health_ID_Insurance_Card_Example.pdf
- http://www.ehow.com/facts_6822387_health-insurance-group-number_.html
- https://www.nahu.org/consumer/GroupInsurance.cfm
- http://www.ehow.com/how_5685955_understand-health-insurance-card.html
- http://www.dol.gov/sites/default/files/ebsa/about-ebsa/our-activities/resource-center/faqs/cobra-continuation-health-coverage-consumer_0.pdf
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