Accident Doctor

Personal injury medical billing simplified

Getting your medical care paid is a big concern for most. You need to be concentrating on your recovery process and not medical bills. However, auto accident doctor billing is done differently based on which state you live in. On the other hand, your treatment may be paid by pip in one state and under an attorney’s lien in another.

Attorney’s Lien

A lien is by far the most common type of treatment payment you can get in the United States. It’s not really a payment rather than a delayed payment. In addition, your personal injury attorney and doctor sign a document that will basically guarantee payment once your case has settled.

• Pros: Don’t have to pay upfront and out of pocket
• Cons: There’s a slight chance you might owe a balance

Letter of Protection (LOP)

A letter of protection or LOP is the basically the same as an attorney’s lien.

Personal Injury Protection (PIP):

If you live in a pip state, this is what will be billed first by the doctor directly. Pip does work differently depending on where you live. However, it still pays for any reasonable and necessary medical expenses up to the dollar amount. However, if pip is exhausted, then the treatment in most cases falls under an Attorney’s lien for the remainder of the balance.

As with an attorney or without you certainly won’t need an attorney if you are using pip to pay your auto accident doctor. Pip will pay your medical expenses up to a certain amount and then it stops. In this event, you may need to talk to a personal injury attorney and see about treating under an attorney’s lien.

You never have to worry about any medical bills have you have pip coverage. Your auto accident doctor will do all the paperwork for you and bill the insurance company. Furthermore, Pip also covers your passengers up to the same dollar amount as you. Equally important, if any passengers were with you that are injured, take them to the auto accident doctor with you. They will be glad to squeeze them in for an appointment

No Fault Insurance:

Many people refer to pip as no fault, and vise versa. No fault was designed to help people get the care they need in the event of a car accident, no matter who was at fault. In other words, you and anyone in your car may be entitled to medical care.

For this reason, a no fault doctor will bill the insurance company and do the necessary paperwork. If you have been in an accident and were at fault and are hurt, always call the accident doctor. You do not need an attorney if you have no fault car insurance to see a accident doctor.

Medical Payments (Med Pay):

Med pay is interesting; most insures tell you nothing about it. You set the amount when you purchase your auto insurance. However, it you currently don’t have it, you certainly can add it later. Your auto accident doctor will bill the insurance company directly. The car insurance will send a check directly to you or your accident doctor.

You can go see any physician you like. In turn, they will bill the auto insurance company. As with an attorney, you can use Med Pay or medical payments to see an auto accident doctor. They will usually handle all the paperwork and all you have to do is treat. You do not need an attorney if you have med pay or medical payments. It’s very similar to pip; however, it’s an add-on to your insurance policy.

Pros and cons to using Med Pay

Pros- Your medical expenses get paid up front and don’t come out of any settlement proceeds.

Cons– The attorney may take the med pay and make it part of the settlement. They then will try and reduce the doctors bill and not pay it in full . Furthermore, the attorney will not reducing his fee, expecting the doctor to take the loss.

Billing the At-Fault Party’s Insurance

Patients think that a doctor can just send the bill to the at-fault insurance company, they will be paid. However, this could be nothing further from the truth. Only a few states and insurance companies do this. The law has to be in place for this to occur.

• Pros: Expenses are paid upfront, directly to the treating physician.
• Cons: none

Third-Party Billing

This is nothing more than a term used. Third party billing is billing the insurance company directly through pip or med pay.

We List a Variety of Accident doctors to serve you

We list many types of auto accident doctors on our website to help you. Our physicians may be Chiropractors, Medical, Orthopedic, pain management, Neurologist, Physical Therapist or surgery centers. If surgery or a specialist is needed, you may have to retain an attorney in some states.

In addition, they may accept Pip, No fault auto insurance, bill third party and take attorney liens.

Chiropractors

These are by far the most common accident doctor. Chiropractors treat a majority of personal injury because the majority is soft tissue injuries. Chiropractors use hands-on spinal manipulation without the use of drugs or surgery.

Furthermore, they can reduce scar tissue, reduce inflammation, and restore range of motion. And, they are good accident doctors because most of them will be more than happy to treat you the same day. Besides, they may also accept attorney liens, med pay, pip, bill third party, and medical liens.

Medical Doctors

Medical physicians have the ability to write prescriptions and order imaging services. In today’s personal injury world, it’s a good idea to see a medical doctor within the treatment course of your recovery. On the other hand, your attorney will want you to do it, and it brings more legitimacy to your injury case.

Orthopedic Specialists

These auto accident doctors treat broken bones that may require surgery or other procedures (cast). Most won’t treat on a medical lien. However, some will treat on an attorney’s lien. Furthermore, they may also take Med Pay or medical payments, and pip or personal injury protection without an attorney.

Pain Management Physicians

Pain management physicians can prescribe medication to help alleviate pain. They can also do epidural steroid injections can help alleviate pain by treating inflammation in the back, leg, neck, or arm. Most Pain management physicians treat using an attorney’s lien pip or med pay.

Physical Therapists

These Auto Accident Doctors teach patients how to manage their pain, so that they will achieve long-term health benefits. They examine each individual and develop a plan. What’s more, they use treatment techniques to promote the ability to move, reduce pain, restore function, and prevent disability. Lastly, most accept personal injury protection (pip), medical payments (med pay), or attorney liens.

Neurologists

Car accidents can affect the brain and spinal cord, the peripheral nervous system, the autonomic nervous system, and the muscular system. A Neurologist treats these types of issues.

Will my Primary care (PCP) take a personal injury?

Most Primary care physicians will not treat a condition resulting from a car accident or any other personal injury. Notice, we said most. We have seen very few that will, but that’s few and far between. What’s more, there is nothing wrong with trying to see if your PCP will see you.

They may even send you out to physical therapy or see a specialist, which is great. However, most of these physicians are not accident doctors and they may not know how to properly document your personal injury. It’s not really an issue if you are not pursuing a personal injury case. However, it becomes a big issue if you have an attorneys and the doctor doesn’t provide any documentation.

Your primary care is set up for cash, and billing your health insurance company. However, they do not bill the auto insurance company even if you have med pay or pip. Lastly, if you have an attorney, your PCP will not treat on an attorney’s lien.

What to do after an accident

1. Check on all other parties involved: Ensure everyone is ok and not in need of EMS services, if so, call 911. By immediate we mean, broken bones, unconscious, uncontrolled bleeding, bleeding from the ears, nose, head or mouth.
2. Make sure the scene is safe: If possible or the law permits, move the cars off the side of the road and out of the way of traffic.
3. Call the police: Please don’t skip this step, the police are who assigns blame for the accident .
4. Take Pictures: Take pictures of the cars and how they are positioned, cell phones make it easy for us these days. And they take great pictures.
5. Talk to the police: Don’t just assume it obvious to the police how the accident occurred. Make sure to tell your side of how the car accident took place. If you are taken away by EMS and are able, call the police or request the officer come get your statement from the hospital. It’s very important to tell your side.
6. Locate and speak with any witness’s: Make sure if anyone saw the accident occur, you get their name, phone number, and any other information. This may become very important later, if the officer cant determine fault or the insurance company denies liability.
7. Call your accident doctor: make an appointment as soon as available to get checked out. Even if you don’t feel any pain, you should always get a doctors checkup. If you went to the ER, call the doctor after you are released.
8. Call your insurance company: If you have Med Pay or Personal injury protection, you need to call your insurance company in order to receive it. Its also good practice to let your insure know when you have ben involved in an accident. You may have coverages on your policy such as uninsured motorist or under insured motorist.
9. Get a copy of your accident report: Make sure to get this as quicky as it become available. There may be some inaccuracies on it and you need to try and have it fixed if there are any.
10. Speak with an attorney: You may have to speak with an attorney. Most offer free consultations for auto injury patient’s. Even if you don’t want to retain them, its always good to speak with one and hear there thoughts.

I’ve have seen many mistakes victims make with accidents. some are minor, some a major deal breaker.

Don’t make these mistakes after your car accident

• Not calling the police: Always call the police, no matter what the other party says to you. They may offer to pay for it out of pocket. However, that does you no good a month later down the road when they say “What accident”

Mistakes with Accident reports

• Not getting the accident report
• No passengers are listed on the report
• Drivers are listed in the wrong vehicles
• Diagram was drawn inaccurately
• Drivers 1 and 2 reversed

With doctors

• Delaying or not seeing a doctor
• Not keeping scheduled appointments
• No call, no show
• Not following the physicians advice
• Not disclosing pre existing conditions

Mistakes with Attorneys

• Not being honest with your attorney, they need to know everything so they can protect you.
• Not telling them about pre existing injuries
• Excessive communication