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Who Pays Medical Bills in Car Accidents, Me or the Insurance Company?

A car accident can cause you property damage and physical injuries. The injury may be mild or severe; notwithstanding, the core issue is who will pay the medical bill for its treatment? You or the insurance company?You have auto insurance in place, and the insurance company will pay your medical bills. However, there are certain layers to it before concluding either you or the insurance company will settle medical bills.

Who is responsible for Paying Medical Bills after a Car Accident?

Car accidents are unexpected events, sometimes resulting in traumatic experiences. You may get a car accident injury due to a third party’s negligence. Nonetheless, your medical bill is the first concern that you have to deal with.The following guide may help you determine who will pay the medical expenses or the subsequent bills.

Establishing Causes for the Accident

In order to establish a fault, the injured parties must provide evidence that another’s actions were intentional, deliberate, or negligence causing them the injuries.Often, it’s the negligence of the driver that causes the accident. However, other parties may be at fault too.

Other Driver If another vehicle hits you, then that driver is responsible for paying your medical and other damage expenses. Suppose that the driver was violating traffic laws at the time of the accident and was reckless. In this case, they have to take responsibility for the damage caused to your car and the injuries you suffered. Car accidents are mostly a result when a driver runs a red light, over-speeds, or drives under alcohol influence.

Driver’s employer When an employee driver is responsible for an accident, the employers may share liability for the resulting damages, and they should compensate for your medical bills.

Vehicle manufacturer If any part or component of your car malfunctions, there can be fatal consequences. Your vehicle’s failure to operate properly may be the reason for the accident and injuries. In such cases, later on, the manufacturer may be responsible for the damages.

Sub-conclusion In all the above situations, it’s very difficult to establish another or third-party’s fault. It’s not only cumbersome, but you need to file substantial evidence to prove their neglect or their act of indulgence in your accident and injuries. To overcome this segment, you must ensure to collect a collision report. A collision report records witnesses, information, photos, and time of the accident, the position of vehicles, etc. It’s a must and mandatory in many states.

Determining the Damages

Even if the accident was due to third-party involvement, the victim would get compensation only if they can prove that the accident was the reason for the damages. Hence, weigh potential damages so that your plea for recovering is comprehensive.Common damages because of accidents include:

Medical expenses This part deals with the cost of future care besides your medical bills. As the injury may take longer for recovery, the victim may need rehabilitation or need devices like a wheelchair or crutches, etc.

Loss of income Your injuries and medical visits may lead you to miss your work or may affect your long-term ability. Sometimes, the victim may recover the lost wages.This part deals with your injury, probable situation for losses, and what is recoverable.The second part is about working with insurance companies to recover your losses or get compensation for medical bills or treatment costs.

Dealing with Insurance Companies

This is a post-accident step. Insurance companies will pay the costs resulting from a car accident. Their scope of payment and interest may differ from yours, as it depends on the driver’s policy, and the full extent of your damages may not be recoverable in most cases.You may consider the following tips at the time of dealing with insurers:

Report immediately, submit Collision Report Immediately inform your insurance company and other party’s insurers about the incident, with complete and relevant details only. Avoid sharing irrelevant information.Don’t wait for other parties to report the incident to their insurers. They may hold reporting the accident if they are likely at fault.

Be cautious The other party’s insurer is there to protect their driver’s interest, not yours. So be careful while sharing the accident details. Give what is necessary information, let them do the remaining guesswork themselves. Say nothing that they may interpret as your fault.

Expect Pushback If another driver is at fault, their insurance company will offer you the least amount in order to avoid a possible big claim. Other insurers will try to disavow the nature and extent of your injuries and the money for the damages you claim. You may keep sequential records for all medical visits and doctor’s recommendations, and the medical bills as a piece of evidence.

Avoid Early Settlement An early settlement offer by an insurance company talks about two issues; first, their client is at fault, and second, they want to settle at far less amount than you deserve. To make it happen their way, they will talk big about your needs for financial relief to pay your medical expenses or about repairing your vehicle. Stay put; you will get what you deserve in the long run.

Avoid Signing Paperwork Insurers will overload you with a lot of paperwork, demanding you to sign these papers. You must understand the document fully before signing it. Be careful; otherwise, you may end up signing a settlement contract, which may waive off your rights to claim additional damages now or in the future.

Show Patience and Stay Persistent Insurance companies will press you hard for settlement. Avoid it.However, delays in the claims process may lead you to miss the opportunity to file a personal injury claim. Some states give an allowance of three years to file for your personal injury claim, but it’s not in every state.You must remember, insurance companies also have a professional obligation to communicate and settle claims without undue delays. You may contrive communication with the insurance company in a manner that they should know you are aware of such procedures.

When to Expect Payment Receiving claim amount can be a long tiring exercise. You can make it quick, depending on your resolve to settle the matter.

Settlement The settlement part can conclude at any time during the claims process. Usually, the settlement amount is lower than what you deserve or whatever damages you have filed for. Interestingly, you can get an early payment once you accept the settlement.

Conclusion

You may consider the fact that at-fault insurance companies will keep deferring your medical bills as long as they can hold them as per the state laws. You should know what are your state laws when it comes to recovering payment for your medical bills from an insurance company.

References

https://gamalawfirm.com/faq/who-pays-my-medical-bills/ https://www.boohofflaw.com/medical-bills-car-accident-responsible/ https://www.herrlingclark.com/helpful-information/faqs/who-pays-for-medical-bills-if-i-am-in-an-accident-and-it-was-not-my-fault

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lokeshjames-blog · 2 years

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8 of the Best Medical Billing Services

A large number of healthcare providers claim that collecting medical claims can be a lengthy and tedious process. In addition to coding and paying a variety of insurance companies, most healthcare practitioners tend to spend a great deal of time appealing or following up on denied claims. This is why choosing a renowned, proven medical billing service is a must.

To find a medical billing service that suits you, determining the particular needs of your facility is a must. As you would expect, finding the right service can significantly reduce your and your patient’s burdens. However, the wrong medical billing service can waste a lot of time and drain your facility’s resources.

There’s no denying that the health of your patients comes first, but there are several other things you need to pay attention to, for ensuring your medical facility can operate without any troubles. Not gaining profits will ultimately cause you difficulty treating patients properly, which is why prioritizing your clinic or hospital’s billing process is essential to gain profits consistently and keeping your office up and running.

Taking care of in-house billing on a day to day basis requires special attention. It is a major reason why tons of practices outsource this vital aspect to a reputable medical billing service, making sure they can pay complete attention to helping their patients recover.

The Best Medical Billing Services

As mentioned earlier, medical billing is a serious aspect of running a health care facility as it requires submitting various claims to insurance companies. For those who don’t know, insurance payments are a critical part of modern healthcare as they help maintain an economically manageable medical practice. Medical services file insurance claims, taking care of the coding and ensuring they reach the company in a timely manner.

Medical billing services follow the insurer’s specific submission regulations, which significantly increase the chances of getting timely payments, providing medical practices the money they require to function properly. The right medical billing service will also steer clear from mistakes and errors in bill submissions and insurance claims that could lead to penalties or revenue forfeiture due to subpar recordkeeping.

Mentioned below, are some of the best medical billing services you can choose.

Athena Collector

If you are looking for an easy-to-use, team-friendly medical billing service, give this medical billing service a try. Its prices are relatively low, especially considering its high-quality. With Athena Collector, your billing process will become efficient and error free, allowing your staff to stay on top of the entire procedure. Using this service is quite easy, as all you need to do is set it up and start right away.

What’s most impressive about this service is its 3 month minimum contract, giving you ample time to check whether it fits your requirements.

Pros

Relatively lower price

Short contracts ensure you don’t have to make lengthy commitments

Especially developed to make things easier for in-house staff

User-friendly design

Cons

May not be suitable for those who prefer third party billing services

Relatively low first pass success rate for claims

Care Cloud

Few medical billing solutions are as good as Care Cloud. With a robust EMR system and a minimum contract of one year, this medical billing service can help you get rid of most, if not all of your payment related woes. Care Cloud’s carefully tailored price tiers make it stand out from several other similar services. Instead of offering just one solution, you can choose a package that matches your claim’s frequency and complexity.

What’s more, you can avail get a low percentage cost with Care Cloud, depending on your clinic or hospital’s billing amount. Sure, this service’ startup fees may be a bit heft but its efficient billing processes put most billing systems to shame.

Pros

Tremendous coding results

A short, one year contract length

Excellent EMR system

Numerous pricing tiers to offer added convenience

Cons

The startup fees may be too much for some

Minimum monthly guarantee required

Advanced MD

The Advanced MD is truly as it name suggests. This high quality billing solution is compatible with almost every type of practice and has a tremendous first pass success rate. What’s more, Advanced MD also thoroughly analyzes claims to look for coding errors, a feature that only the best medical billing services offer.

Advanced MD’s excellent 95 percent a success rate speaks volumes about how effective it is. One of the best things about this software is its straightforward interface. Familiarizing your staff with it won’t take much time, and once they understand how it works, your invoicing and billing will become simple and free from errors.

This billing service also contains an efficient electronic medical record system that offers incredible billing accuracy. The only thing that some users may not like about Advanced MD is that it doesn’t code claims at the beginning, which means that you will have to take care of it through your in-house resources.

Pros

Suitable for different practice types and sizes

Excellent for searching coding errors

A great option for anyone who encounters several denied claims

First pass success rate is quite high

Cons

Doesn’t work on initial coding, meaning that you’ll require a coder

Human Medical

Human Medical offers highly customized and personalized services. It may not be the largest company around, but it offers excellent customer service, offering clients with timely and adequate solutions. You will not get other software types with human medical; therefore, it is a good option for practices already using electronic medical record systems.

As far as convenience and flexibility goes, human medical is one of the best. However, you will also need to pay a little more money for that comfort.

Pros

Excellent customer service

Offers great flexibility

Perfect option for small practices

Can handle coding and claim generation procedures with ease

Cons

Slightly high percentage fees

Doesn’t offer a practice management software or EMR option

Cerner

Handling a medical practice’s billing is not as straightforward as it seems. There are days when you encounter a variety of complex issues, and solving them can take loads of time. If your practice faces such issues on a frequent basis, try Cerner. This medical billing service was especially designed to take care of complicated billing. While Cerner can take care of a multitude of billing aspects, there is a caveat – you may need some time to get familiar with its advanced features.

So, if you do opt for Cerner, it would be best to take some time to train your staff beforehand. Once you know how Cerner works, your practice’s billing will become very straightforward, no matter how challenging it may seem.

What’s most impressive about this billing solution is that it can take care of your medical practice’s entire billing process, including account collections, denied claims, their resubmissions etc.

Pros

The wide range of features this service offers is quite impressive

Managing account collections will become simple and efficient

This service is especially great for larger practices

Cons

Customer service could use some improvements

Lengthy training process

Kareo

Most medical billing services are quite costly. Sure, some of them may be less expensive, but their setup fees and contracts are quite lengthy, tying clients for long periods. Kareo, on the other hand, is quite different. This medical billing service is quite flexible in terms of its billing. So, whether you run a small practice or a large one, you can breathe a sigh of relief knowing that you will find a package that suits your particular needs.

Another thing that stands out about Kareo is that it can handle every segment of your practice’s billing, which also includes resubmissions.

Pros

Decent range of training features

Convenient pricing tiers

Great option for resubmissions

Smooth handling of medical billing

Cons

Customer service may not be consistent

Clients must also get Kareo’s practice management software and EMR to avail billing services

Dr. Chrono

Do you run an average sized or small medical practice and are looking for a full service medical billing solution? If yes, look no further than Dr. Chrono. This medical billing service touts a first pass success rate over 95%, which is higher than most. Offering a vast range of billing services to various practices,

Dr. Chrono can do plenty of things such as coding, billing, resubmissions etc. regardless of your practice’s size.

Pros

Excellent success rate on insurance claims

Especially geared towards specialty and general practice providers

Takes care of claim submissions form beginning to end

Absence of minimum monthly guarantee makes Dr. Chrono a perfect choice for smaller practices

Cons

May not be ideal for bigger practices

You can only avail this service with its EMR software

Lokesh James

If you are looking for a medical billing service with a personalized touch, then choosing Lokesh James would be a wise decision. Many practices encounter trouble in revenue generation, claims processing, and various aspects of medical billing. If you face the same issues, Lokesh James’ experience in the billing industry will help your practice steer clear from medical billing troubles.

What’s most impressive about this service is its professional and timely assistance. Unlike most billing services, Lokesh James will take care of your medical billing payment within the first claim filing week, allowing your practice to operate smoothly.

Pros

Timely claim filing

Suitable for small and large medical practices

Professional assistance

Years of experience in the medical billing industry

Essential Considerations for Choosing the Right Medical Billing Service

With no shortage of medical billing services to choose from, deciding which one would suit your practice can be hard. However, the considerations we are going to discuss will help eliminate confusion, helping you make a well-informed decision when choosing the best medical billing service.

Look at the Contract they Offer

Almost every medical billing service has a contract, and most of them are quite different. Take a close look at the contract lengths being offered to see which one suits you the best. In most cases, minimum contract lengths tend to be around one year. However, there are plenty of billers who ask potential clients to sign a contract that lasts for two, three, or even five years.

When negotiating a contract period, try choosing a shorter tenure. Why? Because if the service is not according to your needs, you will not have to worry about fulfilling a long-term commitment. It would also help if you paid attention to the penalties or fees you will need to pay if you decide to terminate the contract before it ends.

Coding Guarantees

If you come across a medical billing service that offers low prices, it could be because it expects its clients to handle the initial coding by themselves. Coding is a vital part of insurance claim filing and the smallest of errors could lead to rejections. Make sure the service you choose takes care of the coding from the get go and has a high success rate of claiming submissions to avoid payment delays.

Handling Denials

When choosing a medical billing service, check the RCM’s handling of claims denied by the insurance company. Does it make amendments and resubmit those claims? If no, then it would be best to look for other billing services. Many medical billing services do not resubmit claims if their client made the mistake and some even ask for extra fees. A high-quality service will always take care of the mistake made from your end and handle denials with professionalism.

Customer Support

Consider opting for a medical billing service that lets you contact it through live messaging, telephone, email, and other modes of communication. Some billing services even offer 24/7 support while others are only available during business hours.

While there are plenty of practices that handle their insurance claims and medical billing using in-house employees, choosing a reputable billing service like the ones discussed earlier would be in your best interest. Doing so will allow your practice to prioritize on patient care while leave the billing to the pros.

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