Which insurance carrier is commonly considered the payer of last resort?

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The concept here is payer coordination: payer of last resort is the coverage that steps in only after all other sources have paid. Medicaid fits this role in many scenarios because it pays remaining costs or gaps after other insurance has paid. For someone with multiple coverages, the primary payer handles the bulk of the bill first, and Medicaid covers what’s left that isn’t paid by the primary plan. In contrast, Medicare and private employer plans typically act as the primary payers, with Medicaid providing secondary or residual payment when needed. Blue Cross is a private coverage option that generally pays as part of the primary plan rather than as the last resort. So Medicaid is commonly the payer of last resort because it is designed to cover remaining expenses after other insurances have contributed.