Car Accident Medical Bills: Who Pays?
If you have been injured in a car accident, you may be worried about how to pay your medical bills. Thankfully, you may have several options for recovering these costs.
Who ultimately pays depends on the terms of the insurance policy and who is liable for the accident.
Insurance policies often include provisions that detail the priority of available coverage. Insurance may be underwritten to apply as primary or secondary when more than one policy potentially covers the same risk.
Primary policies are the ones that must pay out first. Secondary policies usually pay out after primary coverage limits have been exhausted.
Insurance Policies May Cover Medical Bills After a Car Accident
The first consideration for getting your medical bills paid is usually insurance of some kind. This may include health insurance or the car insurance of the responsible party.
However, if you are relying on the responsible party’s insurance to cover your losses, it may take time. This can leave you to figure out how to pay your medical expenses up front.
Your Medical Insurance Company May Have the Right to Be Repaid for Medical Bills
When it comes to personal injury settlements, insurance companies in California often have the right to [1] subrogation. This means the insurance company can recover the money it paid if someone else’s negligence caused your injuries.
After a car accident, you may file a claim under your Med Pay coverage to help pay for medical treatment. It will usually pay your medical bills up to your policy limits.
However, if another driver is found at fault for the accident, your insurance company may have the right to get back part of the money from the settlement paid by the at-fault driver’s insurance company.
If you receive Medi-Cal benefits, the [2] Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) Personal Injury Program may ask to be repaid for the benefits it paid after you file a personal injury claim against another party.
You must tell DHCS when you file a personal injury claim.
DHCS will then decide whether to file a lien against your settlement or court award to recover that money.
Options for Medical Bill Payment When You’re Uninsured
If you do not have Med Pay or health insurance to cover your medical bills, you have a few options for paying for your medical treatment.
First, you may need to ask your healthcare provider about a self-pay agreement or set up a payment plan.
If someone else caused your injuries, some healthcare providers may wait to collect payment until your case is settled.
Medical Liens
If you cannot pay your medical bills, you may want to use a [3] medical lien. A medical lien is an agreement between you and your healthcare provider.
It lets the provider get paid from your personal injury settlement.
Medical liens are based on the idea that you will receive a settlement and use that money to pay your medical bills.
Medical liens are often easier to get if you have a personal injury attorney. An attorney can help show the provider that your claim is valid.
If you do not receive a settlement or other compensation, you may have to pay your medical bills yourself.
Making Sure Your Medical Bills Get Paid
Talking to a personal injury attorney soon after a car accident can help you find ways to pay your medical bills.
An attorney may also be able to work with your healthcare providers to lower your medical bills. While you can do this on your own, an attorney has experience reviewing medical bills for mistakes and making sure [4] medical liens follow California law.
[1] https://www.insurance.ca.gov/01-consumers/105-type/95-guides/01-auto/hadaccident.cfm
[2] https://www.dhcs.ca.gov/services/personal-injury-program/
[3] https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=CIV§ionNum=3040.
[4] https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=CIV§ionNum=3040.