Should I Let My Health Insurance Cover My Car Accident Injuries?

When you’re injured in an accident caused by another driver’s careless or reckless actions, it’s understandable to feel that they should be the one covering all your medical bills. After all, why should you have to use your own health insurance when someone else caused your injuries in the first place?

Well, there’s one good reason. Below, we discuss how exactly letting your health insurance cover your medical bills can mean more money in your pocket.

More Money In Your Pocket

Each state has its own specific laws pertaining to auto insurance coverage requirements. A vast majority of states require drivers to purchase bodily injury liability coverage, which pays for injuries that others sustain in accidents that they are responsible for causing.

Florida is not one of those states. So, it’s possible for a driver to simply have no bodily injury coverage at all. Or, the driver that caused your accident may have bodily injury coverage, but it still may not be sufficient to pay for the full extent of your injuries.

When you use your health insurance for treatment, you get the benefit of having the treatment paid for under your health insurance contract and, when you get a recovery from the at-fault driver or from your uninsured motorist insurance, the health insurance will have a lien on the settlement proceeds.

This lien only has to be paid if, and only if, there is a settlement one day. If there is never a settlement, you never have to repay it. This is a good thing for you!

Here’s an example to break this down a little better. If you have a medical bill for $10,000, your health insurance may pay the health care provider $2,000 because of a contractual agreement that the provider will write off the remaining balance.

At this point, the health insurance company will have a lien for $2,000. If there’s never a settlement, you never have to pay it back. If there is a settlement, Florida law allows for a reduction in that lien based on certain circumstances. So, after your case settles, you may only pay back $1,000 on the health insurance lien using your settlement award amount.

That’s a lot better than having to negotiate a $10,000 bill after you get the settlement.

Get Legal Advocates on Your Side

Our team has handled thousands of cases, so we know firsthand how to best go about helping car accident victims obtain the full compensation they are entitled to, as well as maximizing the money that goes into their pockets.

If you’ve been injured in a Lakeland car accident, turn to Dismuke Law for legal advocates on your side, every step of the way. Our team will work hard on your behalf so you obtain the maximum compensation needed for a financial recovery.

Contact our firm at (863) 292-6922 to get started with a free consultation.