When facing the need for additional medical treatment related to your car crash/dog bite/motorcycle crash, you may find yourself without health insurance. This could happen for several reasons—maybe you never had health insurance, maybe you lost your job because of work restrictions placed on you by your doctor, or there may be other reasons. What do you do? The purpose of this article is to explore your options.
- Don’t panic. There are options out there!
- Consider other insurance options.
- COBRA – This is a continuation of your employer-provided health plan. It is often very expensive because you have to pay both your part of the premium and your former employer’s part of the premium. Another drawback is that it is usually limited in time as to how long you can keep it. (See https://www.dol.gov/agencies/ebsa/laws-and-regulations/laws/cobra)
- Spouse/Parent’s Health Plan – Talk to your spouse and/or your parents to see if you qualify for participation in their health insurance plan. This could be through their employer or through the Veterans’ Affairs office, for example.
- ACA/ “Obamacare” plan on the Healthcare.gov Marketplace – See if any of the plans fit your needs and your budget.
- Medicaid – Check with your local county Department of Social Services to see if you qualify for this type of coverage.
- Consider asking the medical services provider if they will treat you on the basis of a lien. Liens are an interest in a third party’s property. You may be familiar with liens from buying a car or owning a house. In those contexts, a lender or construction contractor gets an interest in your car or your house and you can’t sell the car or the house until that lien—or debt—is satisfied. In this context, a medical services provider gets an interest in the proceeds of your legal claim. They have to meet certain requirements, such as providing notice in writing to your attorney that they are claiming the lien, and providing their medical records or bills to your attorney at no charge within 60 days of the attorney’s request.
- Consider alternative medical services providers who do offer to work on the basis of a lien. While your doctor, physical therapist, or other provider might not be willing to wait to be paid there are providers in certain parts of North Carolina who will do so. You should learn how much they charge and the terms of repayment before choosing such a provider. Talk to a North Carolina personal injury lawyer about where you can seek such services.
In sum, there are options if you find yourself without health insurance and in need of further treatment after suffering an injury due to the negligence of another person. You just have to know where to look. Gabriel E. Zeller, Attorney at Law, can help you explore your options and win your case.