A car accident can leave you facing staggering medical expenses that you may be worried about how you will pay. The good news is that you may have several options for covering your costs after a car accident, including medical insurance.
Will Health Insurance Pay for Car Accident Medical Bills?
In many cases, yes. Your health insurance may help pay for medical treatment after a Connecticut car accident, depending on your policy, the type of care you need, and how your benefits are coordinated. However, that does not always mean the bills are fully resolved. You may still have deductibles, co-pays, co-insurance, out-of-pocket costs, liens, reimbursement claims, or questions about whether another insurance policy should ultimately pay.
Because health insurance, auto insurance, and injury claims can overlap, it is important to keep careful records and get guidance from an experienced car accident lawyer.
Does Health Insurance Cover Medical Bills After a Car Accident?
Depending on your health insurance policy and the type of care you need, your health insurance may cover your car accident-related medical expenses. In many cases, your health insurer can cover your medical treatment expenses while your attorney and the other driver’s auto insurance company sort out questions about fault and determine the full scope of available insurance coverage.
That said, keep in mind that just because you have health insurance does not necessarily mean you will avoid all out-of-pocket costs associated with your treatment. For example, you may still be responsible for deductibles, co-pays, co-insurance, and other out-of-pocket expenses. Your health insurer may also want to know whether another party could ultimately be responsible for your accident-related bills.
How Car Accident Claims and Health Insurance Work Together
After a Connecticut car accident, your health insurance plan, your auto insurance policy, and the at-fault party’s liability insurance coverage may all play a role in paying your medical bills. Health insurance can sometimes cover treatment first, while your injury claim is pending. At the same time, you can open an auto insurance claim to address who caused the crash and owes you compensation for your medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering, and other losses.
Health and auto insurance claims can move at different speeds, which is why you may need to cover medical bills in stages. If another party is responsible, your health insurer may later seek reimbursement from any settlement or payment connected to the accident claim. Whether your major medical insurance company is entitled to reimbursement depends upon how it is legally structured. Generally speaking, only major medical plans which are fully self-funded by your employer and properly set up under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act are entitled to reimbursement.
How Insurance Coordination Works After a Connecticut Car Accident
After a Connecticut crash, medical bills may involve more than one source of payment. Depending on the facts and the policies involved, payment may involve your health insurance, medical payments coverage under an auto policy, the at-fault driver’s bodily injury liability coverage, uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage, Medicare, Medicaid, or another benefit plan.
The Connecticut Office of the Healthcare Advocate explains that when another type of coverage may apply, a health plan may pay medical expenses first and later seek reimbursement through a process called subrogation. That is why it is important to save every bill, explanation of benefits, insurance letter, and settlement communication you receive.
What Happens When Auto Insurance and Health Insurance Overlap?
When auto insurance and health insurance both apply, which pays first depends on the policies involved and the facts of the accident. A health insurer may pay first, while auto insurance coverage may reimburse those costs later. That can affect how medical bills are processed and whether you have to repay any payments from a settlement. Keep records of all bills, payments, and insurance communications to minimize confusion.
What Is Medical Payments Coverage After a Car Accident?
Some auto insurance policies include medical payments coverage, sometimes called “MedPay.” This coverage may help pay accident-related medical expenses regardless of who caused the crash, depending on the policy. Connecticut auto insurance regulations recognize medical payments coverage as a separate type of coverage that may pay medical expenses resulting from bodily injury in motor vehicle accidents. It is optional coverage and is identified separately on your insurance coverage declarations sheet.
Not every policy includes the same coverage or limits, so it is important to review your auto policy carefully after a crash. A car accident lawyer can help identify which insurance coverages may apply and how they interact with your health insurance and injury claim.
What Expenses Are Typically Covered by Health Insurance?
The scope of your health insurance coverage depends on your policy, but it may help pay for your necessary accident-related care, such as:
- Emergency room treatment
- Hospital stays
- Doctor visits
- Diagnostic testing
- Surgery
- Prescription medication
- Physical therapy
- Follow-up appointments
What If the At-Fault Driver Does Not Have Enough Insurance?
Medical bills after a serious crash can quickly exceed the at-fault driver’s available coverage. Connecticut requires drivers to carry liability insurance and uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage, but minimum limits may not be enough to cover serious injuries, future care, and lost income. The Connecticut Insurance Department explains that uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage is required in Connecticut auto policies.
If the at-fault driver has no insurance or not enough insurance, your own uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage may become an important part of the claim. Generally, in order to bring a claim against your own insurance company for underinsured motorist coverage, you must either have special auto insurance called “conversion coverage,” or you must have underinsured motorist limits greater than the liable party’s liability insurance limit.
Contact Us Today to Understand How to Cover Your Car Accident Bills
If you were hurt in a car accident someone else caused, you may be entitled to compensation for your resulting losses, including your medical costs. But you might be unsure of what happens in the meantime while you wait for a resolution.
The team of Connecticut car accident attorneys at D’Amico Pettinicchi Injury Lawyers can analyze your situation and explain your options after a crash. We can work with healthcare providers and insurance companies to minimize your financial burden while we pursue the full, fair compensation you deserve.
When It’s Time to Fight the Good Fight℠, contact us to schedule a free case evaluation. Our attorneys have recovered millions for our clients, and we are happy to answer any questions you have about your rights after a car accident.
