You were in a car accident that was not your fault and you were seriously injured. You wait for the police and ambulance to arrive to take you to the emergency room but the problem is, you don’t have health insurance. Your insurance either lapsed or something else happened to where you no longer are covered by insurance. What now? Car accident lawyers see this situation a lot and people often ask us, “Can I see a doctor after my car accident if I don’t have health insurance?” the short answer is: Yes, you can see a doctor after your car accident even if you don’t have health insurance.
Below, we go over some options you have for treatment if you do not have health insurance. One thing the lawyers in our firm want to make sure you know is, you are not alone and we are here to help you in any way we can.
Getting Treatment Without Medical Insurance | Is It Possible?
The answer to this question is: yes! It is possible to get treatment even if you do not have medical insurance. We know that medical insurance plans can be expensive and some businesses do not offer healthcare. You may be wondering just how you are going to pay for your medical bills. and some of the answers are complex. but your car accident lawyers are here to help you every step of the way!
Getting Your Medical Bills Paid
At Silverthorne Attorneys, we have a policy where we wait until you have completed medical treatment to demand compensation from the insurance company. the reason for this is because we like to wait until to collect all of your medical bills so we have a firm grasp on how much your case is worth. It can be tricky to find medical professionals who do not require payment up front and will work on a lien. However, there are ways for you to get your treatment paid for.
Medpay
We have written about MedPay before. However, it is important to talk about it when it comes to being in an accident when you do not have other medical coverage. Most car insurance companies offer this additional add-on to your coverage. It is not yet mandatory to purchase, but it is a wonderful feature whether you have health insurance of not. MedPay is short for medical payment insurance. Put simply, it’s a limited form of healthcare coverage on your auto policy that helps pay for your medical bills in the case of an accident.
There are caps on MedPay, like anything else, but it those caps are usually outlined in your car insurance policy. for example, if you are injured in an accident and you accrue $25,000 worth of medical bills and you have a policy that covers up to $50,000 then MedPay will be billed through your car insurance. Though we never suggest that you use this as a replacement of health insurance, it is a benefit to have when you do not have health insurance. Additional benefits include the following:
- MedPay does not have a copay or deductible
- Once a year premium;
- Covers most out-of-pocket expenses
- Ambulance fees;
- Chiropractic care;
- Dental, cosmetic, prosthetic, etc. procedures needed due to injuries caused by the accident;
- Worst case scenario – funeral expenses for a loved one who lost their life due to the accident
Medicaid/Medi-Cal
Medicaid/Med-Cal is another option if you have been in a serious accident and you lose your coverage or have lost your coverage. It is a federal health insurance program that provides health insurance to low-income people throughout the state of California.
Therefore, if you get into an accident and you lose your health insurance and/or you lose your job as a result of your accident, it may be likely that you qualify for Medi-Cal. the loss of insurance qualifies as a life-changing event that will allow you to apply for the Medi-Cal program.
On the other hand, if you are injured in an accident and you do not have health insurance and you also do not have MedPay, our office suggests going down to the local Medi-Cal office near you so you can speak with a representative about signing up and seeing if you qualify. If you qualify, everything will be billed through Medi-Cal like it would through regular insurance.
If you are unable to obtain government assistance with your medical bills, there may be another route to take.
Payment Plans
One of the suggestions we have come up with is to see if the physician who is treating you will make arrangements for a payment plan. It is not uncommon for chiropractors and other medical professionals who specialize in treating car accident victims to allow their patients to use a payment plan. This is entirely at the discretion of the doctor you are seeing. Perhaps asking before seeking treatment will be helpful. Silverthorne Attorneys wants to do everything we can to make sure you are not sent to collections over unpaid medical bills from an accident that was not your fault.
Oftentimes, chiropractors will agree to treat a patient without medical insurance as long as they are paid back from the settlement. This is usually what happens when a medical lien is signed by your car accident lawyer and those treating you. a medical lien allows you to get the treatment you need without worrying about how the doctor is going to be paid. Doctors who work on liens know that they will be paid once the case is settled. Further, their bills are paid from the settlement that you receive from your accident. in that way, you do not have to worry about paying them. Your doctors are the first to get paid once the settlement check is cut.
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Here’s a brief video on how uninsured patients are treated in an emergency situation.
Contact A Car Accident Lawyer Today!
Whatever your situation, if you have been injured due to an accident that was not your fault, you deserve to be compensated. If you are suffering from serious injuries, contact us to discuss your case. Consultations with one of our attorneys are free.
Please do not try to go up against the insurance companies on your own. the lawyers in our office have years of experience dealing with insurance adjusters. We know the bullying tactics they take and we will never back down when they are being unfair.
Contact Silverthorne Attorneys today at (949) 234-6034 for a free consultation.
