The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention stated that unintentional injuries are the fourth leading cause of death in the United States. This will be made worse if they’re untreated, which for the average victims of personal injuries, will be very likely especially with dire healthcare costs. This could add stress to the injured. To alleviate financial burdens and stress, it’s best if the victim contacts a personal injury law firm to seek justice for themselves and ask about medical liens.
MEDICAL LIENS
These types of liens may be given to you by healthcare providers (assigned to you by your legal representation) under the condition that you will pay them back once your settlement money has been recovered. In return, you will be getting the necessary medical treatment to keep you up to speed after the harm inflicted on you during the accident. To keep you accountable, healthcare providers assigned to you by your personal injury law firm will make you sign a lien agreement. After the agreement has been signed, they will then perfect the lien which stipulates that they will be paid in full once the settlement in the personal injury case is reached. Once that happens, they will then exercise the lien in an effort to recoup whatever healthcare cost you incurred.
DOCTORS ON LIENS
When filing a personal injury claim, it’s often better to get medical treatment with doctors on liens. This is because your personal injury law firm will have better negotiation advantages with them. The bills you incurred during the accident will be a major factor in determining the value of your case, which means the higher your outstanding balance, the higher the value of your personal injury case.
Moreover, your personal injury law firm will have more control over the outcome of the case when you choose to undergo treatment with doctors on liens. For example, if you need to get an MRI to prove that the accident inflicted a knee injury, it’ll be easier to go through with this under doctors on liens. If, on the other hand, you choose to pursue treatment with your insurance, you will be beholden to their policy restrictions. You may need to get a referral from an urgent care first. Only then will you be able to schedule an MRI which will end up delaying an already long process of receiving settlement outcomes.
HEALTH INSURANCE OR MEDICAL LIENS?
We have discussed that going through your health insurance might end up prolonging settlement, but that’s not the only thing that could affect your case. It could potentially lessen its value as well. You won’t be able to maximize your settlement offer because your medical bills would not be as high on paper as it would have been if you’re bound to a lien agreement. It’s possible to not have to rely on medical liens for your treatment when you have health insurance.
However, once settlement has reached, your health insurance company may try to recoup the money they spent on your treatment through a legal process called subrogation, especially if this is stipulated in your health insurance policy. So let’s say for example, your insurance company covered $10,000 on medical bills for your treatment. They could legally ask for reimbursement from your settlement money. This is why we highly recommend signing an agreement with doctors on liens who are working closely with the personal injury law firm handling your case. Not only will you get more out of your case, you will also have more negotiation leverage.