Most seniors celebrate the day they turn 65 and qualify for Medicare coverage for their health insurance. However, Medicare doesn’t cover every medical treatment and what happens if you are injured in a car accident? How will those medical bills be paid?
Auto insurance coverage
First, for those injured in a car accident, your auto insurance will cover medical bills to treat those injuries. Pennsylvania is a no-fault insurance state so part of your auto insurance premiums covers your medical treatments for car accident injuries. If you have given up your license and was driving with your spouse who is insured, check with your auto insurance policy to see what coverage you are eligible to receive.
Medicare coverage
Medicare will act as a secondary insurer if you have auto insurance coverage. So, if you broke a leg and hip in the accident, your auto insurance company will cover those costs up to a certain limit. Then, Medicare coverage kicks in.
Injury settlement
If you end up receiving an injury settlement because of the accident, you will need to reimburse Medicare for any costs it covered. Also, you want to make sure the documentation was correct for treating your injuries.
For instance, if you broke a leg and a hip in the accident, placing you on permanent disability from a part-time job, your settlement for medical costs may be complicated. If you came down with pneumonia while in the hospital, Medicare and any supplemental health insurance should cover the cost to treat that.
An experienced personal injury attorney can guide you to ensure the insurance settlement you receive is fair and you only pay back the Medicare costs to treat the injuries you suffered in the accident. A personal injury attorney also can insure you pay Medicare back promptly, avoiding any penalty or collection fees.
