Get medical bills paid quickly: Connecticut car accident.
In this video attorney Peter Bartinik Jr. shares two tips to get medical bills paid quickly after a car accident in Connecticut.
You have been in a serious car accident, and received medical care from the emergency room. You have medical bills that are due and payable.
Now you health insurance company refuses to pay your bills, and you don’t know why.
What do you do next? Where do you find help?
Sometimes health insurance companies refuse to pay medical bills incurred after a car accident. As a result, getting medial bills paid after you have been in a car accident can be frustrating. Not only do you have to deal with the pain of a physical injury, you also have to deal with finding ways to get your bills paid.
The reason for this is twofold. First, health insurance is not always primary insurance. This means that a different source of insurance is responsible for the bill. Second, heath insurance plans frequently have subrogation rights. This means if they pay a claim, then they take over your rights flowing from the claim they paid. They step into your shoes in relation to that claim. When these two issues are addressed, your health insurance company will pay your medical bills.
Medical payments in an automobile policy
While you might not realize it, your car insurance might also include health insurance. This insurance is called medical payment insurance, or med pay. If you do have med pay, then med pay is primary. As a result, your regular health insurance is secondary. This means that your med pay is responsible for your medical bills. Your health insurance begins to pay only after your med pay limits are fully exhausted.
Most people do not have med pay. When they do, is for a small amount. $5,000 is a common amount. As long as you have some med pay, the med pay is primary. Therefore, your health insurance is not responsible for your medical bills until the medical bills exceed the med pay limits.
Your health insurance company does not know whether you have med pay. As a result, they will not pay your medical bills. They will only pay when they know that they are primary.
If you do not have med pay as part of your automobile insurance policy it is good practice to promptly inform your health insurance company that you do not have med pay. That way, they will know that they are primary. A great way to prove that you do not have med pay is to show your health insurance company representative a copy of your declaration page of your automobile insurance policy.
Once they know you don’t have med pay, they will know that they are primary. Then they will pay your bills.
Subrogation rights
The second reason health insurance companies might delay paying your medical bills after a car accident is their subrogation rights. Many health insurance policies have subrogation rights, which gives them the right to be paid back for bills they have paid when your case is finally resolved.
When subrogation rights exists your health insurance company might request you to sign a form to acknowledge their subrogation rights. When you get such a request, you should consult with your lawyer to seek advice about whether you should sign the form.
After consulting with your lawyer, and satisfying your health insurance company about your intention to follow the law pertaining to their subrogation rights, then you can expect them to pay your bills.
If you or anyone you know need the help of a lawyer, please contact the lawyers at The Bartinik Law Firm LLC at 860-445-8521.