When you’re involved in a car accident, the consequences can be quite expensive. You have your car to repair, your medical bills to pay and could also miss work while you recover from your injuries. This can take a toll on your finances, but you do have some options for help. If the accident was the fault of another party, you can file an insurance claim with that individual’s insurer.
If you feel you could get more from a lawsuit, you could sue the other driver. Of course, while you wait for settlement, you’ll still need to get those bills paid, and it could be a while before your case is finished. The following are some ways you can take care of medical bills after being involved in a car accident.
Utilizing Health Insurance Coverage
Perhaps you have a health insurance policy through your employer. Maybe you’ve purchased a policy on your own. In either case, you have that coverage when you need it for medical bills. The health insurer will most often want to be reimbursed for anything paid out that you’re getting compensated for, so a lien might be put on your settlement by your health insurance company.
Using Personal Injury Protection
Most car insurance policies have something called PIP. This covers medical bills incurred at the time of a car accident up to a certain amount. Many PIP policies have a limit at around $3,000, so the first few medical bills will be paid by PIP, after which you’ll need a new way to pay your bills.
Applying for Medicaid or Medicare
Depending on your age and your financial situation, you may qualify for a government-endorsed insurance program such as Medicaid or Medicare. If you do qualify, you can use it to pay for your medical bills. Often, these programs will not pay anything until you have exhausted PIP, but then they step in to cover the rest. There are always limitations, so be sure you speak with your caseworker about those.
Negotiating a Payment Plan
Many healthcare providers are willing to negotiate a payment plan, while others already have plans in place for situations like yours. Speak with your doctors about the payment options they each have and get set up on a plan to make smaller payments you can afford. If you receive a favorable settlement, you’ll get it all back as compensation.
Contacting Your Car Accident Attorney
Car accidents can get expensive, but that doesn’t mean you should be left footing the bill on your own. Get in touch with a car accident lawyer, like the offices of MartinWren, P.C., to learn about getting an insurance claim or lawsuit started.