How Do I Get My Insurance Company to Pay My Medical Bills?
If you are injured in an accident, you likely expect the hospital to bill your health insurer for your injury treatment, and you expect your health insurer to pay your bill. Unfortunately, it often happens that a hospital will NOT bill your health insurer, because most health insurers only pay a reduced, negotiated amount, and the hospital must “write off” the rest of the charges. So the hospital instead will send the bill to you, and then place a lien for the full amount of the charges on your injury case when your lawyer files it. The result is that the full hospital bill will be taken out of your settlement or award.
You can take steps to avoid this. Typically, 30 days after the accident, the hospital will send you a bill. You should make a copy of the bill for yourself and another copy for your attorney, and then immediately send the original bill to your health insurance company (or to Medicare or Medicaid, if your health benefits come through them).
Your health insurer may then send you paperwork. You should ALWAYS have your attorney review all paperwork BEFORE you sign anything. The paperwork must be worded so it does not hurt your claim; however, legally, you must communicate and cooperate with your health insurer. If you take these steps, your health insurer is likely to pay your hospital bill, and this will not hurt your injury claim.
If you have been seriously injured in an accident and have any questions about your health insurance or payment for your injuries, please call Stokes & Kopitsky. We can help you. We are skilled, experienced Atlanta injury attorneys; our phones are answered 24/7, and there is no charge for your first consultation. All court costs are advanced by us, and attorney fees and the costs are paid only from the amount we obtain for you. We are always fully staffed and can step in immediately in an emergency situation. Please call us toll-free at 800-700-5050 for outstanding, and very caring, legal help.
