How do I pay medical expenses after a car accident?
Monday, April 26th, 2010If you are in a car accident, regardless of who is at fault, you may use the “medical payments” coverage on your car insurance policy to pay medical expenses for treatment related to the accident. However, your car insurance company will only pay up to the amount of your “medical expenses coverage. You can find out the amount of your “medical payments” coverage by looking at your policy or contacting your insurance agent. Typically the coverage offered is $1,000, $2000, $5,000, $10,000 or $25,000. The amount of coverage you should have depends ofcourse on how much you can afford along with the protection you want. The cost of this coverage is relatively small compared to the overall cost of the policy. Your insurance agent would be able to quote you the premioum differences.
If you have car insurance but are also covered by a private or government sponsored health plan, both plans are generally available to pay your medical bills that arise out of an automobile accident. Some group plans state that the auto “medical payments” plan is primary meaning that insurance must be used first. However, if possible, it is generally better to procees your medical bills through your group health insurance first. This is because the group health plans will almost always have co-pays and deductables. Once the bills are processed by your group health plan, the health care provider will send you a bill for the balance, that is, a bill for your co-pay or deductable. This relatively small bill can then be sent to your car insurance and they will pay it out of your”medical payments” coverage. This method of payment will allow you to extend the life of your “medical payments” coverage and relieve you of having to pay medical co-pays and dedutables out of your own pocket.
This all may sound a little complicated. If you retain our law firms services for your accident claim we will manage the payment of your bills through our office as a service to you.

