What to Do After a Car Accident Without Health Insurance

Car accidents often lead to serious injuries that require extensive medical treatment. If you have no health insurance, it’s unlikely you can afford to pay out-of-pocket for every healthcare service you’ll need. But don’t avoid medical treatment. You can still receive prompt care even without health insurance.

The problem is medical providers require payment as you are billed. Even a personal injury lawsuit does not provide the immediate funds to pay these expenses. It can take months, a year, or more before there is a settlement, and then more time to receive the proceeds. The compensation you ultimately receive out of a personal injury claim or lawsuit may be enough to cover your medical bills. However, if you don’t have health insurance, here are some options that may be available right now.

Government Health Insurance

If you’re covered under Medicare, your car accident injury treatment will be covered. Your car accident attorney will help determine what services are paid for. Medicaid may also cover some expenses if your income is below the threshold to qualify for coverage. Medi-Cal, provided by the California Department of Health Care Services, is a fee-for-service program available to millions of residents and can cover you under a range of medical programs.

Med Pay

Medical payment coverage under your auto insurance pays the expenses to treat injuries caused by the insured individual. A “Med Pay” limit sets the amount of coverage; if medical costs exceed that, then the at-fault person must cover the remainder. Med Pay may be enough to cover some medical bills, although the policy limit is usually under $10,000. It can still be beneficial to have this coverage in your auto insurance policy.

While Med Pay requires paying a separate premium, it doesn’t have a deductible on medical payments and covers various specialty medical services, including chiropractic and cosmetic care. It also covers vehicle passengers, occupants of other vehicles, and pedestrians. Even if you were at fault, the insurer must pay you.

Negotiate with Your Health Insurance Provider

If you are uninsured or your family income doesn’t exceed 350% of the federal poverty level, California law requires hospitals to negotiate with patients. You can therefore negotiate a discount or payment plan. Another option is if a provider is willing to grant a medical lien, which works similar to credit. A medical lien may be granted to someone who isn’t covered by any other program, cannot afford to pay the deductible or co-pays, and otherwise cannot pay for much-needed medical care. Providers who work for a medical lien will delay payment until your case is resolved.

Consult with a Los Angeles Personal Injury Attorney

If you’ve been injured in a car accident you didn’t cause, and don’t have health insurance, the at-fault party should pay for your medical expenses and losses. At The Law Offices of Jacob Emrani, we’ve recovered millions of dollars in damages for car accident victims. It’s important to keep a record of all your medical treatments, reports, and bills. We can compile everything into a package to file a claim and recover damages that cover your bills. Our attorneys are aggressive and fight for your rights all the way.

The skill of a California personal injury lawyer is needed to take on insurance companies and get maximum compensation. But you need to start your personal injury claim as soon as possible. To set up a free case evaluation, call 888-952-2952 today!