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Don’t worry about medical deductibles after a car crash

On Behalf of | Apr 10, 2020 | Auto Accidents

Concerns about expenses often prevent people from seeking medical care when they need it. People without insurance may avoid medical care except for in dire emergencies because they know they can’t cover the costs involved. Even people with insurance often find themselves going without the care that would be best for them because they have to worry about cost sharing.

Costs sharing in health insurance is a way to limit the expenses an insurance company incurs. Insurance companies require that policyholders pay a copay every time they go to an office visit or receive a prescription drug. They may also charge coinsurance, which means that the individual has to pay a certain percentage of the medical costs, often as high as 30%.

Before those issues ever affect their costs, most people will have to pay thousands of dollars out of pocket for medical coverage because they have a high deductible on their medical insurance policy. When it comes to getting care after a crash in Colorado, the terms of your medical policy will matter substantially less than the motor vehicle insurance involved.

Your medical policy likely won’t pick up the cost for collision-related care

Generally speaking, insurance companies want to limit the claims that they pay only to those that they are specifically liable for. You might assume that your health insurance policy will cover any medical costs you incur, but there are situations in which someone other than your health insurance company is liable for those medical expenses.

If you get hurt on someone’s private property, a homeowner’s insurance policy or premises liability policy for a business may cover those costs instead of your health plan. When you get into a crash caused by another driver, it is the medical payments coverage from their policy that will cover your medical expenses.

Getting help now can help you get compensation later if you need it

Instead of worrying about the potential cost-sharing risks that you carry because of your health insurance policy, you should think about the potential for long-term financial consequences if you can’t prove that your injuries directly resulted from the crash.

The sooner you see a medical professional and receive a diagnosis, the easier it will be to prove that the collision is the cause of your symptoms. Not only will doing that improve your odds of securing compensation but getting earlier medical care can also improve your prognosis during recovery.