Who Pays for Doctor Bills After an Accident?
Posted on Sep 4, 2014 7:50pm PDT
After you have suffered
personal injuries from an accident, you will quickly accumulate medical bills. Many people
do not know if they can use their health insurance or pay the bills themselves
to protect their credit.
The answer is that you can and should pay any bills or submit them to health
insurance to protect your credit. In the United States, the responsible
party generally does not pay for your medical treatment as you incur bills.
Instead, the person who suffered injuries must obtain and pay for the
treatment they need. They then submit the medical bills and other documentation
(e.g., medical records, police report, lost wage verification) to the
responsible driver's automobile insurance company. They will then
negotiate a fair settlement for all damages - at one time.
Therefore, a patient can and should pay a doctor or use their health insurance.
There are deadlines for submission of bills to a health insurance company,
so it is better for an injured person to provide their health insurance
information to the hospital or any doctor they see at time of treatment.
Nevertheless, if necessary, they can submit the bills, so long as they
do so on a timely basis under their policy..
The amount a personal injury victim will receive from the the other driver's
insurance - by way of settlement or through a jury verdict - will not
be effected by whether they used health insurance, paid their bills themselves
or whether the bills remain unpaid.
If you are in an accident,
call Simeone & Miller, LLP for a free consultation and we will help you find a doctor to see and
assist you to ensure that you receive the care you need without damaging
your credit.