Louisiana Attorney Explains What to Do After an Accident and You Have No Insurance
No health insurance? No worries. Louisiana Attorney Explains Your Options
A recent HealthDay Reporter survey found that about 15% of people in the United States lack health insurance; that’s over 45.5 million people that are left uninsured. Just because a person is uninsured doesn’t mean that he or she isn’t at risk to be involved in an unforeseen accident. Accidents resulting in injuries can leave a person feeling overwhelmed from expensive medical bills. As your Louisiana Attorney, I ask you to understand your options if you have been involved in an accident and have no medical insurance.
On the day of accident, go to the emergency room for your injuries. Federal Law indicates that hospitals MUST treat you whether or not you have medical insurance. After they have treated you and cleared you for release, they typically will refer you for a follow up with another doctor. If you have no insurance, it is difficult to see another doctor because they usually require payment upfront or immediately after services. If your appointment is a few weeks away, you should try to apply for Medicaid or Medicare. If you qualify, then you can pay for your doctor visit with the assistance of Medicaid or Medicare.
In the case that you do not qualify for Medicaid or Medicare, you could qualify for Medical Payment coverage from the insurance company. If you don’t have health insurance and the party or business at fault has opted in for medical payment coverage, you can qualify for anywhere between $1-$10,000 in medical payments.
Lastly, if the other party does not have medical payment coverage, then you could go to the doctor’s office and get a medical lien on your settlement. Most doctors give patients the option to get a medical lien to pay for their doctor’s visit. The filing of medical liens usually happens in conjunction with the personal injury case, or shortly thereafter. This means that at doctors and hospitals will usually wait until the end of your case till they receive payment. The popular notion is that a medical lien will be paid in full, but this rarely happens. The end recovery is usually a percentage of the total lien amount, averaging anywhere between 40%-75% of the cost.
Medical treatment is very important for your injuries as it creates a medical record of your symptoms, the injuries, and pain levels. Do not delay getting medical treatment because you do not have health insurance. You have many options, but the best choice is to ask a local personal injury attorney about your options today.