After an injury, you could have a hard time paying your bills. While you might be in the middle of an insurance claim or a lawsuit, you still need to keep current on those medical bills so you don’t get sent to collections. It might be difficult to get everything squared away, but you do have some options for getting your bills paid.
Medicaid and Similar Programs
The government has a few different healthcare coverage programs. This includes Medicaid, Medicare, Veterans programs and various others. To qualify for these programs, an individual would have to fall within a certain income level, as well as meet other requirements. Sometimes the coverage is retroactive, so if you’ve already received medical care, those bills could also be taken care of.
Personal Health Insurance
Even though the accident wasn’t your fault, you can still lean on your personal health insurance for coverage after you sustain injuries. Be sure you speak with your insurer, as well as your medical provider, so both know you are receiving treatment for injuries that are the center of an insurance claim or lawsuit. In most cases, your health insurance company will place a lien on your settlement so they can get paid before you are able to squander the money on something else.
Workers’ Compensation Coverage
If your injury happened at work, you might be entitled to workers’ compensation. You should be careful about accepting an offer for workers’ compensation, as it could forfeit you the right to receive compensation from your lawsuit. There are ways around this, however. For example, if you are receiving workers’ compensation for your workplace injury, you might still be able to sue a coworker who deliberately punched you in the office.
No-Fault Car Insurance
Some states have a no-fault law that means each individual in an auto accident who has proper insurance can receive coverage regardless of fault. Many insurers pay up to 80% of the medical bills you incur due to your accident, as long as the accident happened while you were behind the wheel. The purpose of this type of insurance is to cut down on how many personal injury lawsuits are filed, so be sure you understand your options before going this route.
Allowing a Lawyer to Assist You
When you are injured in an accident, you deserve proper compensation from the party who caused your injury. Your lawyer can assist you in finding new ways to stay current on your medical bills while you wait for your lawsuit to play out, so contact a personal injury lawyer, like from The Law Firm of Frederick J. Brynn, today to get started.
