Does Health Insurance Cover Car Accident Injuries?

Two immediate problems car accident victims face are securing and paying for medical care. After a bad car crash, you could suffer a broken bone, whiplash, back injury, concussion, or other injury, all of which require immediate medical intervention.

At our firm, we receive a common question from members of the public: does health insurance cover car accident injuries? The short answer is “usually,” but the longer answer is more complicated. Reach out to one of our Los Angeles car accident attorneys to discuss your case.

WHEN DOES HEALTH INSURANCE COVER CAR ACCIDENT INJURIES?

You should read your health insurance policy. Look for the section on exclusions and you will find whether or not your policy covers car accident injuries.

Most will, but the insurer retains the right to subrogation. This is a fancy legal term meaning that the insurer has a right to be reimbursed if you get a settlement or jury verdict from the at-fault driver.

TALK ABOUT SUBROGATION MORE

Let’s say you get into a terrible crash on July 1, 2019. You need to go immediately into surgery and then spend a week in the hospital. You come out with a medical bill that is around $60,000.

For many people, their health insurance will initially cover this amount, so you will be responsible for your deductible and any copays. However, your insurer will cover some percentage of the rest, based on your coinsurance.

But now imagine you get a settlement by suing the driver who struck you. Your settlement is for $120,000. From this amount, your insurer has a right to be reimbursed for any amount that they paid to treat your car accident injuries.

You will need to stay in constant contact with your insurer, let them know you were injured in a car accident, and ultimately have your Los Angeles car accident attorney send them a check. If you don’t reimburse them from your settlement proceeds, your insurer can sue you.

Of course, if you don’t get a settlement or win a jury verdict, there is no money that can be used to reimburse your insurer.

WHY DOES AN INSURER HAVE SUBROGATION RIGHTS?

The reason is simple: an injured victim cannot recover twice for the same damages. Medical bills are a type of economic loss a victim should not be responsible for. However, you can’t get paid twice—once by your insurer and then again by the negligent driver. Car accident victims are not entitled to this kind of windfall.

DOES MEDICARE HAVE A RIGHT TO REIMBURSEMENT?

Yes, Medicare does. They will assign someone to your case, who your attorney should be in contact with. You can expect the government to be aggressive at getting reimbursed, so find an attorney who has handled subrogation before.

CONTACT US TODAY

El Dabe Ritter Trial Lawyers has represented many motorists injured in Los Angeles car accidents. After a collision, you should hire a team that has your best interests at heart. Contact us today to schedule a free consultation with one of our lawyers.