One of the biggest mistakes of handling your own personal injury claim is settling with the car insurance company before you understand who you may owe and how much you may owe out of the settlement. Yes, in most cases, there are third-parties that should be reimbursed or paid out of the settlement proceeds.
Most commonly are health insurance companies, like Blue Cross, Aetna, Cigna, and Humana. Typically, if your health insurance company paid for medical services you received due to a car wreck, they have the right to request reimbursement out of settlement proceeds. The good news is that you are only required to repay the (typically discounted) amount the health insurer paid to the medical provider. For instance, if Blue Cross paid St. Tammany Parish Hospital $100 for your ER visit, Blue Cross will put their hand out for the reimbursement of $100.
Other health insurers we may not think about are Medicare and Medicaid, who have statutory rights to repayment out of settlement funds. Failing to report a car wreck case to Medicare or Medicaid or failing to consider their repayment interests can result in fines or even the denial of future benefits, even those unrelated to the subject car wreck.
You should also consider paying any unpaid medical bills out of settlement proceeds. While technically, some medical providers are required to put you on notice of a repayment lien obligation, they can certainly pursue collections for medical bills that go unpaid.
At Flattmann Law, we carefully collect and analyze billing information for our clients and work with health insurance companies, medical providers, and other interested third-parties to make sure your claim is handled the right way.
Are You Struggling To Handle Your Own Personal Injury Insurance Claim?
If you've been injured and feel you are struggling on handling your own personal injury insurance claim and need help contact us online or call our Covington office directly at 985.590.6182 to schedule your free consultation today. Flattmann Law serves clients on the Northshore, including Covington, Mandeville, Abita Springs, Bogalusa, Franklinton, Folsom, Hammond, Lacombe, Pearl River, and Slidell.
