Today, we continue our blog series where we answer recurring questions we’ve heard over the years. To see previous posts in this series, click here.
Clients often tell us that they do not want their medical bills to be submitted to either their health insurance, automobile insurance, or workers’ compensation to be paid. Some clients believe that those entities should not have to pay for medical treatment of injuries that arose from someone else’s negligence.
While we would love if people were never injured by someone else’s negligence, we all pay premiums for health insurance coverage and certain types of automobile insurance coverage to protect us when we become injured. Ohio law provides us with the workers’ compensation program that employers participate in to cover us when we are injured on the job.
At The Richards Firm, we always suggest that injured people utilize whatever insurances are available to them to help pay their medical bills. At a minimum, providing that insurance information should keep medical providers from sending bills to a collection company, which may affect credit. When an injured person is recovering, the last thing he or she needs is to be worried about outstanding medical bills.
Your insurances likely will be entitled to either subrogation or reimbursement of any payments those companies make on your medical bills. While the terms have different legal meanings, the end result is the same: your insurances may be entitled to be repaid something for the medical bills paid to treat your injuries. In short, let your insurance companies protect their own alleged interests. You should be worried about following your doctors’ advice and getting better.
We have encountered some medical providers which, for whatever reason, do not bill insurances even when provided with that information. While Ohio law is straightforward when it comes to billing private health insurance or Medicaid, and federal law is crystal clear when it comes to billing Medicare, that situation does occur for our clients.
We recommend that injured persons provide insurance information for all insurance policies that may cover the treatment at every visit. If your injury occurred in the course and scope of your employment, you should provide any workers’ compensation claims information at every medical visit.
Some medical providers do not contract with private health insurers and may not accept public health insurances. You should get the treatment that you need. The Richards Firm does its best to work with your providers regarding outstanding medical bills at the time of settlement or judgment.
In the event that you are uninsured, we can help you attempt to find various means by which your bill can be covered. While being uninsured is not ideal, you may still have options to help you.
We Can Help You Understand Your Options
At The Richards Firm, we always do what is best for our clients. We understand that you may not have gone through a situation like this before. Let us help you coordinate your benefits and navigate the personal injury claims process.
If you suffered injury as a result of a vehicle or truck accident, dog bite, defective product, defective premises, or nursing home negligence or you or a loved one have suffered a wrongful death, contact your local, trusted personal injury attorney in Hamilton, Ohio and the surrounding communities today at 513-868-2731 or visit us at https://richardsinjuryfirm.com.
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