Who pays for my medical bills after a car or motorcycle accident?
There is a lot of confusion about Florida No-Fault, better known as PIP. Florida law requires that each person have a PIP insurance policy in the amount of $10,000. The PIP benefits are payable regardless of fault for the crash. This means that the person that caused the crash has $10,000 in benefits available to them. This does not mean that no one is at fault for the crash. It only means that there are benefits available.
This also does not mean that there is $10,000 to put into your pocket. This is for medical bills typically paid directly to the doctor and lost wages. PIP insurance will pay 80% of the medical bills up to $10,000 minus your deductible. The 20% that is left over is your responsibility even if you were not at fault for the crash. The emergency room visit alone can eat up the entire $10,000 depending on whether high resolution imaging is performed. Some people purchase a medical payments policy of insurance to cover the other 20%.
The next issue with PIP is that most doctors will not accept PIP as a method of payment and it gets even more complicated when your PIP insurance becomes your primary insurance for your injuries. What this means is that you can go to your primary care doctor, they bill your health insurance, and if health insurance knows that it’s from a car or motorcycle crash, health insurance may deny payment. If not billed to PIP timely, 30 days, PIP may refuse payment. Most doctors submit their bills to health insurance and it can easily take over 30 days for the insurance company to deny payment. This is the reason that most doctors will not treat you or accept PIP as a method of payment.
Dealing with insurance companies and auto and motorcycle crashes is very complicated. Please do not try and resolve it on your own. I am always available for a free consultation at (321) 926-8002 or simply message me on Facebook or Instagram.
This is not legal advice as every case, every insurance policy, and the facts are specific to your situation.
