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What Are Your Options If You Have No Medical Insurance?
If you do not have medical insurance, getting proper medical treatment can be a real problem. Medical care is expensive, and untreated injuries may last a lifetime. Money is important, but there is no substitute for good health.
You have 3 basic options for immediate treatment:
Consider going to a hospital emergency room. Under federal law, you cannot be turned away even if you cannot pay. The hospital may later assert a lien for the services rendered under the Texas "hospital lien law" against any recovery on your case.
If you live within a county that has a county hospital supported with taxpayer funds, such as John Peter Smith Hospital in Tarrant County or Parkland Hospital in Dallas County, consider treating there. The hospital also may later assert a lien for the services rendered under the Texas "hospital lien law" against any recovery on your case.
If you qualify under the governmental rules, you may be eligible to be treated under Medicare or Medicaid. Medicare/Medicaid also may later assert a lien for the services rendered under the Federal regulations against any recovery on your case.
The liable party is ultimately responsible for an accident victim's medical bills if a jury makes that determination after a trial. If the person at fault for your injuries has liability insurance, the insurance company usually will not voluntarily pay the victim's medical bills on a pay-as-you-go basis. They usually use the excuse that they do not want to fund the claim against their own insured. If a settlement is possible, the insurance company usually wants to write just one check for all bodily injury damages caused by the accident, including all medical bills.
You may also qualify for Personal Injury Protection ("PIP") or Medical Payments ("Med Pay") coverage for your medical bills under a policy of insurance on your car, on the car in which you were riding, or on a car owned by someone you live with and you are related to them by "blood, marriage or adoption."
Some doctors near you may be willing to treat you and wait to be paid until there is a recovery on the case. Talk to an attorney about this possibility. Usually, if there is no recovery on your case, you would be responsible for setting up a payment plan with that doctor.
Copyright 1994 - 2007 Clifford B. Rodgers.
Last Modified July 2, 2007.
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