Car Accident Without Health Insurance: What an Attorney Can Do for You

An expert personal injury attorney will be able to direct you to specialists who can treat you immediately and will not be compensated until your automobile accident lawsuit is resolved. Expect that the other party’s auto insurance will not send you to physicians or arrange for medical care on your behalf.

Coverage for Medical Payments

Specific vehicle and property insurance contracts include a provision known as medical payment insurance. “Med pay” coverage pays for the medical expenses of the person(s) wounded in an accident caused by the covered, up to the policyholder “med pay” policy limitations, which are often less than $10,000.

You will be liable for paying your expenses after they surpass the “med pay” policy’s restrictions. If that person’s insurer includes “med pay,” that person’s insurance will pay at least several of your medical costs.

Insurance Without Fault

In around a dozen jurisdictions, no-fault vehicle insurance exists, implying that your motor insurer will cover part or all of your healthcare bills and missed wages if you are involved in a car accident, irrespective of whose fault.

A claim made in the absence of no health insurance is often referred to as a Personal Injury Protection (PIP) claim. However, each state’s statute is unique. In particular “no-fault” jurisdictions, your insurance will pay up to a certain amount of medical expenditures; there is no cap in many others. Consequently, if you are implicated in a vehicle accident in a location that does not need a no-fault policy or stumble on someone else’s property, you should inquire about the other party’s “med pay” coverage.

Negotiate With Your Health Insurance Provider

If you are under-insured or your household income does not exceed 350 percent of the federal poverty threshold, hospitals are required by California law to bargain with patients. As a result, you may arrange a reduction or payment plan. Another possibility is that a provider may provide a healthcare lien, which functions similarly to credit. A hospital lien may be given to an individual who is not covered by another program, cannot pay insurance or co-pays, or is otherwise unable to pay for necessary medical treatment.

Conclusion

While you are still obtaining medical care, your automobile insurance company will not cover the ambulance travel and emergency room treatment. They will want to settle your complete physical injury claim, including any claim for pain and misery, before paying any of your medical expenditures.