If you don’t have health insurance coverage, then the possibility of being in a serious accident weighs heavily on your mind. When you’re in an accident and don’t have health insurance, you’ll likely struggle to gain access to the medical treatment that you need, which can lead to long-lasting injuries that affect your ability to work and live your life to your fullest potential.
Luckily, for those who have been injured in an accident and don’t have health insurance, there are a few ways you can potentially receive medical care. Read about your options for getting medical treatment without insurance, including filing a lawsuit with the help of a personal injury lawyer.
Personal Injury Protection
If you live in a state like Florida that uses no-fault insurance rules, then you are likely required to carry some form of personal injury protection (PIP) coverage. While PIP plans are usually not as comprehensive as standard health insurance, they often will cover a portion of your medical expenses following a serious accident.
The drawback to using your PIP coverage to pay for your medical bills is that these plans generally have a strict limit of the amount of medical care that will be covered. Once this limit has been reached, any further medical treatments will have to be paid for out of your personal finances.
Medical Payment Coverage Claims
Much like PIP plans, some car and property insurance plans cover limited medical expenses. This is known as medical payment coverage or ‘med pay’. If your insurance, or the insurance of the person who caused your accident, contains a med pay provision, you can use this to pay for some of your medical bills. Unfortunately, again like PIP plans, med pay coverage amounts are usually very limited, almost never exceeding $10,000.
After you’ve exhausted the med pay coverage, any other expenses will need to be paid out of pocket.
Seek Coverage Under Medicaid
If the injuries you suffered in your accident are serious enough, you might not be able to work for an extended period of time. Should your lack of work reduce your resources enough, you may qualify to receive insurance coverage under Medicaid, a government program for the needy and disabled.
If you do qualify for Medicaid coverage, you will likely be able to receive medical treatment for your injuries. However, once you are able to return to work and your financial standing is restored, your coverage will likely end.
Payment Plans
Depending on the circumstances of your accident, you might be considering filing a personal injury lawsuit with the help of personal injury lawyer. If so, many medical institutions will give you medical treatment under the assumption that they will be reimbursed after you receive your personal injury settlement. Generally, you will be required to sign a lien agreement allowing the medical establishment to file a lien against your future settlement.
Get Help from a Personal Injury Lawyer
Once you’ve decided to file a personal injury lawsuit after you’ve been involved in an accident and don’t have health insurance, contact a personal injury lawyer from the Disparti Law Group. Whether you live in Florida or Illinois, the Disparti Law Group is ready to assist you with all of your legal needs.
Speak with a Disparti representative today so that you can tell us about your accident.
