T is covered by two health insurance plans: a group plan through his employer and his spouse's plan as a dependent. When T submits a claim, his employer's plan is considered what type of carrier?

In this scenario, T is covered by two health insurance plans: one through his employer and another as a dependent under his spouse's plan. When T submits a claim, the employer's plan is considered the primary carrier because it typically pays first on claims for individuals who are covered by multiple plans.

The primary carrier is the insurance plan that pays benefits first, up to the limits of the policy, before any payments from the secondary carrier. This setup is standard in health insurance coordination of benefits, where the combination of coverage from multiple plans is designed to ensure that the insured receives the maximum benefits while avoiding over-insurance. The secondary carrier comes into play only after the primary carrier has made its payment, which is why knowing which plan is primary is crucial for claim processing.

The terms "coordinating carrier" and "supplemental carrier" do not accurately describe the employer's plan in this context. While coordinating benefits is part of how these plans work together, the direct classification of the employer's plan is as the primary carrier.