Few stresses in life match the financial pressure you may be forced to endure after an accident, particularly if you can't work for an extended period of time. Your medical provider wants payment now, but you are struggling just to pay your regular monthly bills. And you're thinking, "I didn't cause the accident. Why doesn't the other guy's insurance pay for my medical treatment?"
Paying for Your Medical Expenses
Legally, the other guy's insurance can avoid paying everything but repair or fair market value for your vehicle until your case is settled or decided in court. However, there are ways to receive top-notch medical treatment if you have no health insurance, Medicaid, or Medicare available and you don't have the money to pay for care up front.
First, you seek MedPay from your own auto insurance policy. MedPay is insurance money, available under most auto policies, to pay for your medical bills. Typically, coverage is available in amounts of $2,500 to $5,000.
If your injuries are minor, you may want to seek MedPay by yourself. Call your agent and ask how much MedPay coverage is available. Next, submit your medical bills to your agent and request payment. Do this in writing and save a copy of your letter, with copies of the bills you sent, for your own records. Also, ask for written confirmation when these bills have been paid.
If your injuries are serious, MedPay will not cover all the medical expenses. Then move on to your next option.
Second, you contact your medical providers and request them to file a medical lien. The law provides that if a medical provider submits a lien in your personal injury case, they get paid before you do.
Many medical providers want to know that you are working with an attorney before agreeing to a medical lien. They want assurance that you hired an experienced lawyer who will recover medical expenses in your case. At Steffens Law Offices, we will contact any reluctant medical provider and encourage them to file a lien with us. We have even gone so far as to prepare the lien for them.
Failing to Treat Your Injuries Is Not an Option
The critical mistake which you must avoid is a lapse in treatment, or the other guy's insurance agent will say, "You must have gotten better." In the insurance world, "I didn't have the money to treat" is not an excuse.
To be successful, you must treat medically until your doctors say they can do nothing more for you. (This is known as reaching maximum medical improvement.) If not, you typically do more damage to yourself and your case.
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