Any person eligible as either a subscriber or a dependent for a managed care service in accordance with a contract. Someone who is eligible for or receiving benefits under an insurance policy or plan. The term is commonly applied to people receiving benefits under the Medicare or Medicaid programs. The person to whom the proceeds of a life or health insurance policy are payable when the insured dies. There are three types of beneficiaries: Primary beneficiaries are those first entitled to the proceeds; secondary beneficiaries are entitled to proceeds only if no primary beneficiary is living when the insured dies; tertiary beneficiaries are those entitled to proceeds if no primary or secondary beneficiaries are alive when the insured dies. Secondary and tertiary beneficiaries are also referred to as alternate or contingent beneficiaries, because their claims are contingent on the deaths of the primary beneficiaries.