Is it necessary for an elderly woman to have three medical insurers?

Answer 1

As the question is posed, and without knowing more, the answer could go either way.

Presuming that the three insurers to which you refer are major medical insurers, they will coordinate benefits for a covered loss, such that the medical provider will only get paid once. The insured does not get the "profit" over the allowed amount. If that is the case, she does not need to have 3.

However, depending upon the woman's age (and whether she is in the US), she may be eligible for Medicare, which will likely provide the bulk of her coverage. If so, one of the other insurers may be a medicare supplement insurer. That insurer will pay some of the expenses that Medicare does not cover, and without knowing the scope of coverage or the quality of the insurer, it may very well be a valid and wise coverage to have.

Lastly, a type of policy that she may maintain that you call a "medical insurer" may be a supplemental policy that pays a stated per diem amount when she is hospitalized. Generally, the proceeds may be applied in any way she desires, and can be valuable if she can otherwise afford the premiums. Some similar policies will pay a stated amount but only when the insured has sustained a particular type of illness or injury.