How To Pay Medical Bills After an Accident Without Insurance
Accidents, as unfortunate as they are, do happen. Many people who are involved in an accident can turn to their health care providers in order to receive the treatment and care they need to restore their health. But what if you don’t have health insurance? It can be a very distressing time for individuals who don’t have health coverage in case of an emergency. You may win compensation for your medical bills and other damages once you settle a personal injury claim or win your lawsuit, but that may take many months, and you need to pay your medical bills now. However, there is light at the end of the tunnel and Pinnacle Legal Funding can help you understand your options.
Pinnacle Can Help You Pay Your Bills Now
Victims of a car accident still have costs to cover like medical bills, repairs, and special therapies all because of a situation that was never anticipated. In fact, insurance companies will leverage these needs in order to convince a victim to settle early — often for far less than what they actually deserve. Without access to money to pay for these unexpected expenses, especially while the victim continues to miss work and suffer other income-based losses, a low, one-time settlement offer may feel like the only option. Not so, with Pinnacle Legal Funding.
At Pinnacle Legal Funding, we understand our clients and their situations, which is why our financial solutions are some of the best in the industry with flexible loan options to help individuals with their expenses and alleviate their financial burdens. Contact us today so that we can discuss your ongoing case, your financial issues, and how we can help you get access to cash while your attorney continues to fight for the money you are rightfully entitled to.
The Benefits of “No Fault” Insurance
In the event that you don’t have healthcare coverage, there is an option called “no fault” insurance. According to Nationwide, no-fault insurance may cover for no-fault policy owners and their passengers in the following areas:
- Hospital and medical expenses resulting from the accident
- Income losses resulting from the inability to work
- Funeral expenses
This type of insurance exists in about a dozen states, and means that your own automobile insurer will pay some or all of your medical bills and lost earnings if you get into a car accident, regardless of who was at fault for the accident. A claim under no fault insurance is often called a Personal Injury Protection (PIP) claim. But every state’s law is different. In some “no fault” states, there is a limit as to the amount of medical bills that your insurer will pay; in others, there is no limit. So, if you get into a car accident in a no fault state, you should contact a car accident lawyer to find out what your rights are under your state’s no fault laws.
The only thing the law requires is that, if the other person is at fault, he/she must pay you damages to resolve your lawsuit. But, depending on the circumstances, if you have no health insurance and were in an accident, you might be able to use one or more of the following methods to get at least some of your medical bills paid:
- No fault car insurance
- The negligent person’s medical payment coverage
- Medicaid
- Working out payment arrangements with your health care providers
Medical Payment Coverage
Some automobile and property insurance policies have what is called medical payment insurance coverage (known as “med pay” coverage). “Med pay” coverage will pay the medical bills of the person(s) injured in an accident caused by the insured, up to the insured’s “med pay” policy limits, which are generally less than $10,000. After your bills exceed the “med pay” policy limits, you will be responsible for paying them. So, if you get into a car accident in a state that does not have no fault insurance, or, if you fall on someone’s property, you should find out if that person has “med pay” coverage. If there is “med pay” coverage, then that person’s insurance policy will pay for at least some of your medical bills.
Medicaid May Be An Option
If you are on Medicare or a state run health insurance program through Medicaid, those entities will pay the bills. Medicaid is a federal program that provides low-income citizens with health insurance. If you’ve lost your job and/or health insurance as a result of an accident, you may be eligible for Medicaid. It’s worth checking to see if you qualify, so if you’re without health insurance and are in an accident, reach out to the Medicaid program, they can cover some of your past medical bills along with future ones.
Consult with a Accident Attorney
As a last resort, you may want to consult with a personal injury lawyer, your lawyer will help make your case and get you the necessary treatment to go back to the way things were for you so you can continue living a normal and healthy life. Some doctors and other medical personnel understand that not every accident victim is insured, and they are not money hungry, after all, they are medical professionals and they are there to help you. They may be willing to work on a payment plan with you if you sign a personal injury lien. Under this agreement, you will receive medical treatment and your personal injury lawyer will pay the provider back with proceeds from the settlement or verdict before you are able to receive any.
