Being involved in a car accident can be traumatizing, and unfortunately, it can also be expensive. It’s important to understand the different types of medical bills you may encounter after being involved in an accident so that you can handle them properly. Here’s a look at some of the most common medical bills related to car accidents and how to manage them.
Health Insurance
Your primary health insurance provider is usually responsible for covering your medical expenses in the event of an accident. Still, it’s important to check your policy to make sure you are properly covered in the event of an accident. In some cases, your health insurance provider may require that you pay a deductible or co-payment before they cover any costs associated with your care. Be sure to get all the details from your insurance company before you seek medical care, and ensure that you understand exactly what is and is not covered by your policy.
PIP or Med-Pay Insurance
If you have Personal Injury Protection (PIP) or Med-Pay insurance, then this will help cover some or all of your medical expenses following an accident. PIP covers any necessary medical expenses for yourself and any passengers in your vehicle who were injured in the crash, up to the limits set by your policy. If any passengers do not have their insurance coverage, PIP can also provide coverage for them as well. Med-Pay works much like PIP, but it only covers medical expenses for yourself or any other person who was injured while riding in your vehicle at the time of the crash. It does not cover any lost wages or other non-medical costs associated with the accident, so keep this in mind when making claims against this type of policy.
Medical Liens
In some cases, if you receive treatment from a healthcare provider who is not part of your health insurance network, they may place a lien on any settlement funds awarded through court proceedings or through an out-of-court settlement agreement with another party involved in the crash. This means that once a settlement has been reached and awarded by either court order or agreement between parties, that portion goes directly towards paying off any liens placed on those funds by healthcare providers before disbursement of funds to those entitled to receive payment from those proceeds.
Handling medical bills related to car accidents can be complicated and confusing, but understanding these key points will help ensure that you are able to properly manage them after an accident occurs. Be sure to double-check with both your primary health insurer and PIP/Med-Pay insurer about what type of coverage is available for different types of care so that there are no surprises later down the line when it comes time to handle your medical bills after a car accident. Taking these steps now can help save time and money later on down the line when dealing with legal proceedings related to recovering damages due to being involved in a car collision!
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