Auto Insurance: How You Can Receive Medical Coverage After An Accident

Being involved in a car accident can cause a wave of emotions from fear of possible injury to damage to your property. Another fear is how you will pay for all the damages that you have suffered as a result of a car accident.

If you are hurt, insurance companies will typically pay for your medical bills. This is assuming one or both parties involved actually have auto insurance. The insurance agency will decide who is at fault for the accident. The at-fault party's insurance will then provide coverage for the damages. While insurance will pay medical claims, many hospitals are not willing to wait for the insurer to determine fault. They may try to bill you before the insurance issues have been worked through. If the at-fault party had no insurance, you will still have to wait for your insurance company to pay the claim.

There is a difference in the different auto insurance plans that are available, and it is important to know which one you fall under so that you are aware of how you will be billed. The following are two types of insurance plans and how they work:

At Fault Insurance

An at fault insurance plan means that the medical care you received from a hospital will bill you individually or your medical insurance if you provide that information to them. You will then be able to get reimbursement from the auto insurance of the party at fault to yourself or to your medical insurance plan.

No Fault Insurance

No fault insurance is also known as PIP coverage. Your auto insurance will pay the claims if you have this type of insurance, even if you are billed by the hospital. It is a rather smooth process to transfer the payment obligations to your auto insurance company. Under a no-fault policy, you may still have to pay a deductible, but your medical insurance will take over your payments for medical care after you all options with an auto policy have been exhausted.

One thing to keep in mind when it comes to medical bills after a car accident is that you are ultimately the responsible party for paying them, even if your insurance or the party at fault's insurance should eventually pay. If you encounter an insurer that refuses to pay your claims, you will need to work quickly in order to avoid collection attempts down the road.

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