In A Wreck? Use Your Health Insurance

If you have health insurance, consider yourself very fortunate. Fewer employers offer it now and it's getting harder to afford health insurance coverage with the rising costs of monthly premiums. So if you have been injured in an auto accident and have health insurance, you need to use it! I know that sounds basic, but many people don't want to use it because they want the responsible party's insurance to pay for their medical care. The problem with that approach is that the liability insurance company won't pay as your medical expenses are incurred; they will only pay at the end of the claim when all your treatment is complete (and they only pay then if they are forced!). Use your health insurance and work out a way to deal with the co-pays and deductibles. (If you have PIP insurance, it's a great way to deal with those expenses.)

All health insurance companies have timeframes by which you must submit medical claims in order for them to be paid. If you're in a car accident and go to the hospital by ambulance, you might come through the hospital doors on a stretcher. This obviously prevents you from going through the normal admitting process. As such, sometimes your insurance information is not collected, so you'll need to call the hospital afterwards to make sure that they know your medical expenses are covered by health insurance.

At the end of your case, it's much easier to work with the health insurance carrier on paying them back (because they have a contractual right to reimbursement) than it is working with the hospital on paying those unpaid bills. Hospitals have a right to assert what is called a "hospital lien" which requires that they be paid back out of any settlement proceeds. The bottom line is, if you have health insurance, don't hesitate to use it. It will make resolving your case much easier.

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Contact the Anderson Law Firm online, or by calling 817-294-1900 for a free consultation on your rights.