Helping Injured MO Clients Maximize their Insurance Coverage
Every St. Louis driver should know that having auto insurance is required under Missouri law. Additionally, if you are injured in a car accident that was another driver’s fault, you expect that their insurance company will pay for your medical expenses. However, even if an insurance settlement is adequate to cover all of your medical bills, it can often take months to settle a case and, if the insurance company does not make a sufficient offer, a subsequent car accident injury claim can take even longer. This means that you will generally have to pay your bills up front and receive reimbursement all at once later.
If you cannot pay your bills, MO medical providers can report the nonpayment to the credit bureaus and the financial consequences can be widespread.
Many people may simply think it is best to submit their bills to their health insurance provider to help cover the bills as they receive them. However, if you do this, you will still be responsible for paying co-pays, deductibles, or percentages depending on your plan. Additionally, once you receive a settlement, your health insurance will likely attempt to be reimbursed for certain coverage out of the amount you receive. For these reasons, our experienced auto accident attorneys recommend that our clients carry medical payments coverage.
How “Med Pay” Can Help You in Missouri Car Accident
Medical payments coverage is often referred to as “med pay” and, because this type of coverage is not required by Missouri law, too many people do not have this type of policy. Med pay is no-fault insurance, which means that it will cover your medical expenses whether or not the accident was your fault. You can submit your medical bills to your med pay provider to cover co-pays or any other out-of-pocket costs. Furthermore, in Missouri, medical payments policies do not have the right to demand reimbursement once you receive a settlement from the responsible party. Even if you have excellent health insurance coverage, it often makes more sense to submit as many medical bills as possible to your medical payments insurance until you max out your policy before you submit any costs to your health insurance. This will allow you to retain as much as possible of an insurance or personal injury settlement. Too many individuals believe they are already covered for medical payments because they requested “full coverage” from their auto insurance provider. However, you must specifically request this type of coverage from your insurer. You can usually obtain benefits up to $1,000, $5,000, or $10,000 and coverage is generally affordable.
Contact an Experienced St. Louis Medical Payments Coverage Lawyer for Assistance
If you have any questions regarding med pay coverage or need help getting the full benefits that you deserve under an insurance policy, you should not hesitate to contact an experienced medical payments coverage attorney in St. Louis today. We understand Missouri insurance and personal injury laws and can help make sure you have the benefits and compensation you need. Call today at 314-735-8100 for help.