Car accident victims are frequently concerned with payment of medical expenses. Our Chicago personal injury law firm is proud ot offer this article that dispels some myths regarding the payment of medical expenses following a car accident and offers accident victims some advice as to how to handle their medical expenses.
Following an Illinois car accident, one of the main concerns that accident victims have is how their medical bills are going to be paid. Even when you have access to health insurance, expensive co-pays and deductibles can cause tremendous financial hardship. Worse, when there is no health insurance, even a simple trip to the emergency room can result in thousands of dollars in medical expenses – and this does not even take into account accidents which cause more serious injuries which require extensive, ongoing medical care. Few people are prepared to bear the financial consequences of medical expenses from an automobile accident, and this is one of the main questions we receive as Chicago personal injury lawyers.
Many people believe some common myths about medical expenses and car accidents in Illinois, so we should spend some time to dispel them now:
Myth: When the other driver is at fault, his insurance company will pay my bills as they come due.
Reality: Insurers almost never agree to pay your medical bills when they are due. Instead, when your case is settled, they will pay you a single sum that includes your medical bills and other damages. Also, if you get into an accident with a driver whose insurance policy has very low liability limits, his or her coverage may not be enough to cover your medical bills.
Myth: The doctor or hospital has to wait until the end of my case when it is settled, and then they can get paid.
Reality: Health care providers can wait until the end of your case to get paid, but do not have to. After all, they have bills to pay also. Health care providers can, and frequently do, send the accounts of accident victims to collections.
Myth: When the other driver is at fault for the accident, payment of my medical expenses is guaranteed.
Reality: There are no guarantees that you medical expenses will be paid when the case is over. Especially in suits involving neck and back injuries, insurers will frequently argue that your medical care was necessitated by a pre-existing condition, that the injury was not related to the accident, or that it was excessive. Low liability limits can be a factor also.
It should be pretty clear from this that payment of your medical expenses should be a priority for every accident victims. As experienced Chicago personal injury lawyers, we make these recommendations to our clients concerning payment of medical expenses after a car accident:
1. If available health insurance should be the main way to pay your medical expenses. That is the whole reason that you have health insurance. Some people are concerned that it is not fair to your health insurer for them to pay for accident-re;ated medical expenses caused by someone else. In fact, they will likely have a right to be reimbursed out of the proceeds of your settlement for the expenses that they pay out on your behalf. Health insurance is there to protect you, and should be used when possible.
Using your health insurance provides you with several advantages, the most important one of which is prompt payment of your medical bills. This should help guarantee your access to ongoing medical care. Another advantage is that virtually all health insurers pay medical bills at a rate significantly below the amount shown on the bill. When they will seek to be reimbursed when your case is settled, you will only have to reimburse them the discounted amount that they actually paid on your behalf. Nonetheless, you can still claim as part of your damages the full amount billed by your health care provider.
2. Another second resource is the medical expense or medical payments coverage on the car you were in when the crash happened. This is commonly referred to as the “med pay” coverage. “Med pay” is a no-fault coverage that pays your expenses up to the policy limits. Unfortunately, the med pay limits are often very low, often less than $5,000, although some polices carry higher amounts of med pay coverage. This can also be used to pay for uncovered expenses and deductibles when you have health insurance.
3. Finally, you can ask your health care provider to place a lien on the settlement or verdict from your case. This provides them with the right to be paid the full amount billed directly from your settlement. They do not have to treat you on a lien basis, but when they do, they are entitled to be paid 100% of the amount billed, and to pursue you into collections if the amount of your settlement is insufficient to cover your medical expenses.
Payment of medical expenses is an important issue to Chicago area car accident victims, and hopefully this will provide them with some guidance and advice as to how to proceed after an auto accident.
