You’ve been involved in an auto accident and you have some injuries that require medical attention. What do you do now?
DO YOU HAVE HEALTH INSURANCE?
One of the first questions you may be faced with is whether or not you have health insurance. The answer to this question will dictate much about your treatment through this process.
If you are lucky enough to have health insurance, then your ER visits, in most instances, will be covered, as well as the majority of your future medical care. However, there are some pitfalls to be aware of, one of which is the health provider making a determination about whether your health insurance is applicable and preferred over the liability insurance carrier, i.e. Geico/USAA/Farmers Insurance.
USE YOUR HEALTH INSURANCE’S COVERAGE
As most people understand, health insurance companies have negotiated reduced rates for health care costs. Failing to use the health insurance coverage you have paid for, may prevent you from taking advantage of these discounts. If the hospital decides to make for example, Geico, the primary payor on a claim which could be covered by your health insurance carrier, not only will you lose the benefit of the discounts, your bills will also take longer to be paid. Therefore insist that any health care provider, whether it is your primary care provider or the emergency room provider, submit your bills to your health insurance carrier.
WHAT IF YOU DO NOT HAVE HEALTH INSURANCE?
Unfortunately, there are not many options available for those who do not have traditional health insurance. It is common for people who don’t have health insurance to simply not get the treatment needed for their injuries.
Although emergency medical needs are generally provided, it is very likely that no medical care be available after the emergency room visit. Many times, the only available treatments are physical therapy or chiropractic services. These services are generally inexpensive and, although rehabilitative, they often cannot correct serious medical issues such as those requiring surgical intervention. In those circumstances injured parties are left to the resources of friends, family and go-fund me pages to obtain the medical attention they need.
WHAT CAN A PERSONAL INJURY ATTORNEY DO FOR YOU?
An experienced personal injury attorney can be of service in assisting clients with finding appropriate medical care and the means to attain it. If you have insurance, and it has not been used by your medical provider as the payor of first instance a personal injury attorney can also help make sure that your medical bills are paid as quickly as possible and at a rate that is advantageous to you.
