Bike accidents can result in serious injuries for the bicyclist. If you have been injured in a bike crash, one of the first things you should do is seek medical treatment. Once you get out of the hospital, you should call your health insurance and find out what is covered and what is not covered. Having health insurance is incredibly important because you need medical care to recover from their injuries and it can be quite costly. If you want to know more about health insurance in DC bicycle accident cases, speak with a qualified bike accident attorney that could fight for you.
When a person is injured in a bicycle accident and does not have health insurance, they can get the medical care; but they are responsible for the medical bills, which means they have to pay for the out-of-pocket. Medical care is expensive; so the person could owe tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars once their medical care is completed. That is why health insurance in DC bicycle accident cases is so beneficial; it can allow an individual to focus their time and energy on recovering, instead of worrying about paying for medical costs.
When a person does not have health care insurance and they are injured in a bicycle accident, they get all of the emergency care needed because of the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act which requires that someone is entitled to emergency medical care regardless of whether they have health insurance. However, if they do not have health insurance, they must repay those bills if they are successful at recovering damages.
The first benefit of health insurance in DC bicycle accident cases is that medical care is paid at the usual and customary constant insurance rates, so the rates they pay are lower. The second benefit when someone has health insurance is that their insurance pays some percentage of the cost of the medical care. The better the plan, the higher the percentage they receive to pay the medical bill.
Any money paid out by health insurance that is issued under an ERISA policy is recoverable in the event of a lawsuit. For example, a person has $10,000 in medical bills and health insurance pays all $10,000. When the person gets $50,000, $10,0000 goes back to the health insurance. So, the recovery is limited by any money paid out by an ERISA policy.
Health insurance companies can require a person to reimburse the health insurance company if the person receives a settlement when the health insurance company is entitled to it. Generally, there are ERISA and non-ERISA plans. Non-ERISA plans generally do not contain a right to reimbursement. ERISA plans typically do, and so any amount paid out, the health insurance company is entitled to it.
The amount that the insurance company asks for, depends on the settlement and the amount the health insurance company paid out. Statutorily, they are entitled to receive two-thirds of any money they pay out. They typically ask for two-thirds. However, when the recovery is less than the amount paid, the person typically pays one-third of the total recovery.
The insurance company pays for treatment and does not get it back from the person, they get it back from the third party. Since the person’s own health insurance company paid for their medical treatment, it is entitled to be reimbursed from the person’s settlement.
Typically, if a person has a bicycle accident and they are at fault, their rates go up. When there is a higher risk for liability insurance, the cost of the insurance goes up. Generally, insurance companies like to raise rates because they make money off rates.
The biggest factor in determining insurance rates is this: the higher risk an individual has, the more the insurance rates go up.
Attorneys know how to give the insurance companies the documentation they need and can ensure that the insurance company gets the information they need. Also, insurance companies often try to recover money they are not entitled to receive. Working with an attorney allows an individual to get the maximum recovery by minimizing what the insurance takes back in terms of any subrogation issues that may or may not exist. A qualified bike accident lawyer could answer any questions an individual may have about health insurance in DC bicycle accident cases and could advocate for them.
