How to pay medical bills after an accident

How to pay medical bills after an accident

If you were injured in a car accident, you may be getting medical bills in the mail. You’re probably wondering how to pay medical bills after an accident. Car crash victims are often surprised to know that in most cases, the insurance for the driver of the car who hit will not pay your bills until your case settles. Check out this video to find out how to pay your bills so they don’t go to collections and affect your credit.

Hi, Barry Zlotowicz with the LawFull channel. I am a Chicago personal injury lawyer. First, I want to point out a common misperception people have. The auto insurance for the driver of the vehicle that hit you will NOT pay for your medical bills until your case settles. Now this does not apply in all states especially no-fault states. But this is the general rule in most states in this country.

Here are a few of the ways you can get your bills paid:

First, no fault insurance: if you live in a state with no fault insurance, you can get some or all of your medical bills paid regardless of fault. I put a link below to the states that have no-fault insurance.

The second way is by using your MedPay Insurance. Medpay or medical payments coverage, is a clause within many auto insurance policies. It is optional coverage in my state of Illinois so not everyone has it. You will usually contract with your auto insurance company for them to pay the first $2,500, $5,000 or $10,000 of your medical bills, regardless of fault.

I’ve read a lot online that people don’t recommend purchasing medpay. I disagree completely. For the few dollars a month medpay costs, it is a valuable thing to have if you get in an accident.

Many people cannot afford to pay their deductible or co-pays which are so high these days. Medpay can cover that for you. If you don’t have health insurance at all, medpay is an option for getting your medical bills paid, again, regardless of fault. Finally, unlike health insurance which might pay 80% of a medical bill leaving you with the balance, medpay will pay 100% of the bill.

The second way to pay your medical bills is by using your health insurance: I always tell my clients when they get any kind of medical treatment, tell your medical provider to bill your health insurance. There are many advantages to using your health insurance to pay your medical bills, the main one being is that your health insurance company such as Aetna or Blue Cross Blue Shield, will likely have contracted rates with your medical provider. As such, Aetna will only have to pay their contracted rate for a bill rather than the whole rate.

A couple things about using your health insurance. your health insurance company is probably going to want to be reimbursed for the money they put out on your behalf. But you will only have to reimburse them what they paid rather than the whole bill.

You’re not totally off the hook. If you use your health insurance you may still have co-pays and a deductible to pay. Still, using your health insurance to pay your medical bills after an accident is the best way to keep your medical costs down and get your bills paid.

Another way to pay your medical bills is by using a medical lien. Liens provide an interesting wrinkle to the issue of who pays the medical bills after an auto accident. A lien in this context basically means that your medical provider will hold off billing you for their services until after you recover for your damages.

Hospitals often file liens shortly after treating a patient so that they are assured of getting reimbursed for their services. Once they get paid by the health insurance company they will release their lien.

Other providers may voluntarily enter into a lien agreement with you such as a chiropractor or physical therapist.

Another option for paying your medical bills is to pay them up front with cash. This is seldom used of course, but it is an option to ensure your bills get paid. You will get reimbursed for your expense when your case resolves but since you don’t have a contract with the provider like your health insurance does, you won’t get a discounted rate. Although you can try to negotiate with your provider.

Finally you can use auto insurance to pay for your bills. First, the insurance for the party that caused your injuries will ultimately pay for your medical expenses through your settlement or verdict. But as I said before they won’t pay for the bills up front.

One thing to know is that when you settle with the insurance company, whether it’s the defendant’s insurance company or if you use your uninsured motorist coverage, the money you get offered includes your medical bills.

Thanks for checking out this video. Please subscribe to my channel and feel free to reach out to me if you have any questions or comments. If I can’t help you, I’ll find someone who can.

Barry Zlotowicz
Chicago Legal Group
847-305-4105
Barry@chicagolegalgroup.com
Or
Info@legalvlogger.com

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