Call Toll Free 1-888-792-3595

How Should Your Medical Bills be Paid in an Iowa Car Accident?

Rarely will the defendant’s insurance company make payments for your medical bills. This in true even if their liability is obvious and they have already paid for the property damage. They are not required to make payments and cannot be compelled to do so before a jury verdict. Insurance companies routinely make payments only at the time of a final settlement when they can obtain a release. Therefore, you should not count on the other person’s insurance carrier making payment for your medical bills until the time of settlement. Therefore, you should look to one of the following ways to have your medical bills paid (please keep in mind that I can assist you in choosing the best method to pay medical your expenses):

1. Your own health insurance from your employment benefits package.

2. Your own health insurance that you may have paid for personally.

3. Health insurance obtained by your spouse for your benefit or by your parents if you are under age and living with such parents.

4. Medical payments insurance coverage from your own automobile policy if you were driving your automobile and were involved in an automobile collision.

5. Medical payments insurance coverage from the person you were riding with if you were a passenger in an automobile that has automobile insurance coverage.

6. Medicaid and Iowa Cares- If you are not covered under an insurance plan you may be eligible for one of these insurance programs. You should contact your local Department of Human Services to find-out. If you do qualify for one of these programs it is very important that you notify me so that their claim can be timely submitted for repayment.

7. Your own personal funds if you were not insured and are able to pay medical bills as they are incurred.

Almost all medical insurance policies have a subrogation provision. What this means is simply that they require reimbursement if you obtain money through a lawsuit from a third party. Unless it is an ERISA plan, we can charge the medical health insurance carrier a 1/3 fee which I pass directly onto you. In other words, if $3,000 worth of medical bills are paid by a health insurance carrier, if you have an attorney involved you would only be required to pay back $2,000. The other $1,000 goes back to you. If you do not have an attorney then the money will just exchange between the insurance company and you will see receive none of this.

If there are insufficient funds to pay doctors, hospitals, and other medical bills, then an attorney can help facilitate assignments whereby the client authorizes the attorney to pay the medical provider directly from any settlement or verdict. These often will serve to satisfy the health provider and often they will wait until the time of settlement rather than pursue collection against you.