Who pays your medical bills after a motor vehicle accident?
Last week we discussed Medical Payments (also known as “Med Pay”) coverage under your own motor vehicle insurance. It is important for you to use the available Med Pay first, even if you have other health insurance benefits (either private or public, such as Medicare or MaineCare). Most health insurance providers will not pay if someone else is responsible for your injuries, called “Third Party Liability”. However, say you use the Med Pay, and there is no other source of payment available. Your health insurance plan should start paying for your care. The responsible party will reimburse your health insurance plan when a settlement or judgment is reached. This action is “Subrogation”. If you start getting bills from your medical providers, make sure their office has submitted them first to Med Pay. A Med Pay exhaust letter will show you that your Med Pay coverage has been used in full. Your provider would also need a copy of this letter. Your provider can then reach out to your only other source of payment, your own health insurance. Do not assume that the person responsible for your accident is going to be paying your medical bills.
If you missed Personal Injury Thursday last week, here is a link to take a peek: https://www.mccuelawoffice.com/personal-injury-thursdays-2
