Who Pays the Medical Bills from My Georgia Car Accident?
Unfortunately, where you’re involved in an automobile accident in Georgia before you actually settle or obtain a verdict in your case, you cannot obtain an “advance” from the at-fault driver’s insurance company for medical bills. Thus, you must arrange to pay for your medical treatment in the following ways:
- Billing your health insurance company. If you have health insurance, it is extremely important that you insist that the hospital or your doctor bill your health insurance company for any and all treatment related to the car accident. If not, the hospital or doctor will go after you personally for payment. The reason many hospitals or doctors do not want to bill your health insurance company is that health insurance companies pay lower rates for treatment. If the hospital waits until you settle your car accident case, you pay FULL PRICE for the medical treatment. If you are covered by health insurance, you are fully entitled for payment of your medical bills under your health insurance contract. Now, the issue of whether your health insurance company is entitled to reimbursement is a totally separate issue that can be resolved with the assistance of a qualified Atlanta injury attorney.
- Medical Payments Coverage. Often, your automobile insurance policy will have a “medical payments” policy. That policy will pay for medical treatment arising from the car accident up to the policy limits. You should ascertain whether you have medical payments coverage to pay for your treatment.
The bottom line is that you will not simply be able to “bill” the at-fault driver’s automobile insurance policy to obtain medical treatment coverage. In fact, you may not be compensated for your medical damages until well after you have received and paid for treatment.
If you have questions about obtaining medical treatment after your car accident in Georgia, please call Atlanta injury attorney Betty Nguyen Davis at (404) 647-0722 for a consultation.