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Coordination of Benefits

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When you, your partner, or your family have more than one benefit plan, you can combine or share them to maximize your coverage. This means you can receive up to the maximum amount of coverage when you claim drugs, medical services & supplies, travel emergencies, dental, and vision. This process is called coordination of benefits, or COB, and it is a standard practice for benefit providers across Canada.

If you have multiple plans but have not set up your COB yet, you can fill out the Coordination of Benefits Information form and send it to ASEBP or contact ASEBP and a benefit specialist will be happy to help you.

How COB Works

Coordination of benefits determines which plan pays first and which pays second. Determining which plan pays first depends on your specific situation.

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For individuals

Whether you have more than one plan with ASEBP, or your other plan is with a different benefit provider, you can still combine them to make the most out of your coverage. For example:

  • If you have a full-time job and a part-time job, your full-time job benefit plan pays first.
  • If you have two part-time jobs, the benefit plan of the part-time job you have had the longest pays first.
  • If you have a full- or part-time job and a retirement benefit plan, the employer-sponsored plan pays first, and the retirement plan pays second.

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For couples

If you and your partner are both employed, your ASEBP benefit plan is your primary plan, and your partner’s benefit plan is their primary plan. For example:

  • You submit your claim to your ASEBP plan first, then submit the remaining balance to your partner’s plan second.
  • Your partner submits their claim to their plan first, then submits the remaining balance of your partner’s claim to your ASEBP plan second.

If you or your partner are both employed and are 65 years of age and older, your provincial or territorial health care insurance plan (e.g., Alberta’s Coverage for Seniors Program) is the primary plan. For example:

  • If you are 65, submit your claim to your provincial/territorial health care insurance plan first.
    • Then submit the remaining balance to your ASEBP plan second.
    • If there are any remaining costs, you can submit them to your partner’s plan third.
  • If your partner is 65, they submit their claim to their provincial/territorial health care insurance plan first.
    • They submit the remaining balance to their benefit plan second.
    • If there are any remaining costs, you can submit them to your ASEBP plan third.

If your partner’s benefit plan is a retirement plan, please contact ASEBP and a benefit specialist will be happy to help you set up the correct order of payment.

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For families with dependant children

The primary benefit plan for your dependant children’s drugs, medical services & supplies, travel emergencies, dental, and vision claims depends on which parent’s birthday falls earlier in the calendar year. For example,

  • If your birthday is April 13 and your partner’s birthday is September 12, your benefit plan is the primary plan.
  • If your partner’s birthday is January 7 and your birthday is January 8, your partner’s benefit plan is the primary plan.

All claims for dependant children should be submitted to the primary plan first. Remaining balances can then be submitted to the second plan.

Important notes:

  • You or your partner’s age is not a factor in which benefit plan pays first. Even if your partner is older than you, but your birthday comes earlier in the calendar year, your ASEBP plan remains the primary plan for your dependant children.
  • Your and your partner’s birthday order is applicable to your dependant children only. Your ASEBP benefit plan remains your primary plan, and your partner’s benefit plan remains their primary plan.

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For dependant children during separation or divorce

If you and your co-parent are separated or divorced, but have joint custody of your dependant children, the primary benefit plan for your dependant children’s drugs, medical services & supplies, travel emergencies, dental, and vision claims depends on which parent’s birthday falls earlier in the calendar year. For example:

  • If your birthday is April 13 and your co-parent’s birthday is September 12, your benefit plan is the primary plan for your dependant children.
  • If your co-parent’s birthday is January 7 and your birthday is January 8, your co-parent’s benefit plan is the primary plan for your dependant children.

If you or your co-parent has sole custody of your dependant children, or if your situation involves stepparents and dependant children having up to four benefit plans, please contact ASEBP and a benefit specialist will be able to provide you with more information.

Additional Information

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Submitting claims with COB

Please review the above scenarios to determine which plan pays first for you and your dependants.

If your ASEBP plan pays first, you will receive an Explanation of Benefits (EOB) statement—available on My ASEBP—which outlines how much your plan covers. You can then submit the EOB statement with your claim to your other benefits provider (e.g., partner’s plan or your second plan) for the remaining eligible amount.

You must allow the claim to be submitted to all plans before you can submit any unpaid amounts to your Health Spending Account (HSA), if applicable. If you submit expenses to your HSA that were already paid by another plan, you will have to reimburse ASEBP.

Please note that your My ASEBP account will only show claims made to your ASEBP plan. Claims to your secondary or partner’s plan will not be available in My ASEBP. This means that your My ASEBP account may give you the option to submit eligible unpaid claim amounts to your HSA. ASEBP recommends that you first check your secondary plan to see if your remaining costs were covered. You can only submit eligible unpaid costs if the remaining costs were not covered by your secondary plan.

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Making changes to your COB

If you have any changes to your marital or dependant status, or if your coverage situation changes, you will need to inform ASEBP to ensure your claims continue to be processed properly.

You can fill out the Coordination of Benefits Information form and send it to ASEBP or contact ASEBP with your plan number(s) and information. To update your file, you will need to provide the following about the other benefits provider:

  • the name of the provider
  • the effective date of your coverage
  • what type of coverage you have
  • if all your dependants are included in that coverage

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Dental COB

While your coordination of benefits for your dental coverage works the same way as your extended health plan, the amount covered is based on ASEBP’s dental coverage maximums.

ASEBP follows the previous year’s Alberta Dental Association’s (ADA) dental fee guide to determine dental coverage maximums. For example, for 2026, ASEBP follows the ADA’s 2025 dental fee guide. In 2027, ASEBP will follow the ADA’s 2026 dental fee guide. While the ADA encourages dental providers to use this guide to set prices, it is not mandatory, which means the cost of services can still vary between dental offices. Depending on what your dentist charges, you may still experience out-of-pocket expenses even after your COB is complete. You can expense these costs to your HSA if applicable. For more information on dental coverage and fees, visit the Dental page.

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Still have questions?

Coordination of benefits can be tricky, especially if your situation changes. Please contact ASEBP, and a benefit specialist will be happy to help you with any questions you may have.