Does anyone have experience with using The Empire Plan NYSHIP as a secondary? Or anyone with knowledge of how insurance works!

I'm looking to make my first appt. with an RE but before I do I'm hoping someone on here with experience can shed some light on an insurance matter. Getting a straight answer from the insurance companies on what I think is a simple question has been impossible!

Here's the situation: I have Blue Cross Blue Shield as my primary through my job. I have the Empire Plan NYSHIP through my husband as my secondary.

My Blue Cross Blue Shield plan covers up to three cycles of IVF (it doesn't specify a dollar amount). The Empire Plan NYSHIP covers up to 50K of fertility treatments.

I get that The Empire Plan is the better coverage, but I want to know if having it as my secondary hurts me? Should I drop my insurance and have The Empire Plan as my primary?

I've tried asking both my insurance plans how they would work together on infertility coverage, would the secondary kick in only once my primary has been exhausted, therefore giving me double the coverage? The answer I seem to get is vague. Reps have told me that the secondary might elect to not cover once my primary says my benefits have been exhausted. In other words, the Empire Plan NYSHIP wouldn't cover up to 50K in this case.

I just can't make sense of it.

So I'm thinking of just dropping my insurance and only having DH's, but I dont' want to make a wrong move. It feels like, why are we spending a fortune on double insurance if it's not going to provide double the benefit? And why can't an insurance rep just answer my questions instead of giving me this "case by case" basis stuff.

Anyone have any experience with this that can help educate me?

Re: Does anyone have experience with using The Empire Plan NYSHIP as a secondary? Or anyone with knowledge of how insurance works!

If you haven't started with a RE chances are one insurance will be plenty of coverage for 2015. I would opt to use whichever is cheaper per paycheck (while also accounting for deductibles, meds, etc.) for 2015 and swap to the other for 2016 if needed.

Does anyone have experience with using The Empire Plan NYSHIP as a secondary? Or anyone with knowledge of how insurance works!

I don't know how a secondary insurance works but I have empire. My re told me $50000 would cover about 7-8 ivf cycles and the meds are not part of that $50000. I had 7 iuis and did 2 rounds of ivf meds and countless dr appts and paid less than $400 for everything.
With empire if you use a center of excellence you don't pay any copays unless you get pregnant.