Pennsylvania Car Accident - Who Pays My Medical Bills?

After a car accident in Pennsylvania, there is a priority of who is responsible to pay your medical bills. Understanding that priority is important to getting those bills paid and preventing you from being left with unpaid bills. When you are in a car accident in Pennsylvania, your medical bills must first be submitted to your own car insurance company.
You may be wondering, why does my insurance pay when it's the other person's fault? Well, in Pennsylvania car accidents, there is a "No Fault" law for medical - the Pennsylvania Motor Vehicle Financial Responsibility Law. So, part of what you pay premiums for every year is for medical coverage under your policy. Your insurance company will pay up to the limits of your coverage for medical. Then, if that exhausts, you health insurance would pay. Your health insurance might have a right to be repaid for medical bills they pay due to your car accident if you get a settlement from the at-fault insurance company (called "subrogation").

If you don't own a car, you may be entitled to medical coverage: 1. under any resident relative's auto insurance (meaning, if you live with a family member who has car insurance) or 2. under the medical coverage of the car in which you were in when the accident happened, or 3. the at-fault vehicle (if you don't own and car, don't live with anyone with insurance and you were hit as a pedestrian).

The at-fault insurance company is responsible to reimburse you for any out of pocket medical bills or unpaid medical bills not covered by other insurance. But, they do not have to, and most likely won't, pay those bills until the end of your case. So, during your case, if you exhaust your medical coverage or you don't have health insurance after your auto medical exhausts, you are in a difficult position. How do you get medical treatment without upfront coverage? You may be able to work with your medical providers.

The medical coverage and "subrogation" can get complicated. You may want to check with and hire an experienced personal injury lawyer to guide you through this process.