After being involved in a motor vehicle crash, you may have medical treatments by numerous providers to support you on your recovery journey. Whether you are having rehabilitation treatments at home, a medical office or a medical clinic, most providers will ask you to sign a form or in some cases, your legal representative will set this up on your behalf so the medical provider can send all invoices to your auto insurance carrier with the specified treatment plan outlined. Therefore, you do not have the constant worry about paying for each treatment and your insurance company can automatically pay the treatment provider keeping your maximum benefit coverage in mind.
Within a few weeks your auto insurance carrier will then in turn, send a copy of the treatment plan to you outlining whether the treatment plan submitted has been approved or declined along with an outline specifying how much of your rehabilitation coverage you have used to date and how much coverage you have left going forward. Do not throw this form out – File it away!
Always Keep a Copy For Your Records
Firstly, it is imperative that you always keep a copy of each rehabilitation treatment for your records. Whether it be organized or just thrown into a box, every document is so important to keep for your records. Secondly, if you are receiving ongoing treatment by a provider and treatment plans are being submitted and approved, don’t be afraid to ask the provider for a statement of their services from time to time to ensure that all invoices are being billed on time as well as being paid on time.
Your treatment provider’s statement should outline the date you received treatment, an outline of what treatment you received, the cost of the treatment and what is outstanding/owed to the provider. Given that the auto insurance coverage is approving your treatment plans and authorizing payment on your behalf, the outstanding balance owed to the provider should be “0” as providers should be billing on a monthly basis. It does not hurt to ask for a copy of your statement periodically to ensure that there are no surprises if and when you choose to end your treatment or decide to change providers.
When I was receiving treatments from one particular provider, I did not even notice that they were not billing my insurance provider on time until I asked to see their Statement of Service. It was very unsettling to see that this provider was behind on billing my insurance company by several months as I could have potentially been held responsible to pay for these treatments as most insurance companies have a deadline/protocol that providers must adhere to when it comes to billing on time. Luckily, my insurance company paid for these treatments but they could have easily declined payment which could have left me responsible.
Medical Records Are Important
As a crash survivor seeking medical treatment, it is always important to remember that just because your insurance company may cover these treatments, doesn’t mean you should throw documents or receipts away. When all is said and done, you may need to back track and cross reference your appointments vs. possible monies owed to the provider just as I found myself doing when I noticed my provider was not billing within a reasonable time.
Medical records are a necessity when it comes time to submitting your claim because the insurance company will want to see all of the medical treatment you sought in order to evaluate your automobile claim. You should keep track of as many receipts or bills you may accumulate throughout your treatment. Medical bills help show the responsible party’s insurance company how much compensation you deserve for your injuries. Receipts can include:
- Medical equipment — wheelchairs, crutches, walking boots, etc
- Prescriptions — pain killers, topicals, ect
- Treatment costs — physiotherapy, chiropractic, massage, etc
- Housekeeping Services – indoor and outdoor, etc
Whether you are submitting medical treatments personally or the treatment provider is submitting to the insurance company on your behalf, it is imperative that you keep a copy of each receipt because you do not want the added stress of trying to track down old receipts during your recovery journey.
S. Dawne McKay is a survivor of a horrific crash that changed her life forever. Dawne shares her personal journey as a Crash Survivor Blogger and also collaborates with crash survivors as Guest Bloggers allowing them an opportunity to share their stories. Dawne is also the author of the book, “Talk Crash to Me – What to Expect After Surviving a Collision and How to Manage Your Recovery” which is available for purchase on Amazon.
The Crash Support Network is a unique one-of-a-kind website consisting of an online support group, a crash survivor blog, a quarterly newsletter, “Sharing Our Recovery” as well as highly informative articles. Our website is based on relationship-building and puts the needs of survivors first by creating a helpful resource for victims and survivors of motor vehicle crashes.
