Does Health Insurance Cover Motorcycle Accident Injuries?

A motorcycle accident can leave you with serious injuries and expensive medical bills. While Massachusetts state law mandates personal injury protection (PIP) coverage for other types of motor vehicles, insurance companies don’t provide it for motorcyclists. This might leave you unsure how your medical bills will be paid. Does health insurance cover motorcycle accident injuries?

Private Health Insurance Coverage and Massachusetts Motorcycle Accidents

Does health insurance cover motorcycle accident injuries? After you’re injured in a motorcycle accident, you can use your private or employer-provided health insurance to cover your medical bills. However, there may be gaps in your coverage that aren’t covered by your insurance, resulting in out-of-pocket expenses.

For example, you’ll be responsible for co-pays and deductibles under your insurance policy. These expenses can quickly add up when you’ve suffered serious injuries. If your accident was caused by someone else, you can pursue a damages claim against them. However, you might have to wait for months to be reimbursed through a settlement or verdict award.

MassHealth and Medicare Coverage for Motorcycle Accident Injuries

Does health insurance cover motorcycle accident injuries when you have Medicaid or Medicare?

If you have coverage through MassHealth or Medicare, the cost of treating your injuries will be covered. Original Medicare (Parts A and B) will cover the cost of your inpatient care while in the hospital and your outpatient treatment, subject to the mandatory 20 percent coinsurance you have to pay.

Both MassHealth and Medicare will place a lien on your personal injury settlement or verdict award to recover the cost of your treatment. However, it’s essential to note that since both MassHealth and Medicare negotiate lower reimbursements for doctors and hospitals, they can only recover what they paid rather than the total cost of care. For example, if your medical bills totaled $25,000, MassHealth might have negotiated a lower rate and only paid $10,000 for your medical bills. In this scenario, MassHealth could subrogate your injury claim for $10,000 instead of $25,000. Your motorcycle injury attorney at Ellis & Associates can negotiate with MassHealth for a lower amount, allowing you to receive the remainder as a reimbursement.

Med Pay Coverage and Motorcycle Accident Injuries

When you purchase your motorcycle insurance, you can choose to buy an optional Med Pay coverage. This coverage pays for your medical bills up to the policy limit you select for your Med Pay coverage. While it’s optional, it is a good idea to purchase Med Pay to help you pay your medical bills following a motorcycle crash.

What Won’t Be Covered by Your Health Insurance

Regardless of whether you have private, employer-provided, or public health insurance, your coverage will not reimburse you for the following losses:

• Any deductibles, co-insurance, or co-pays required by your policy
• Amounts beyond any out-of-pocket maximum listed in your policy
• Uncovered treatment costs under your policy, such as therapy appointments due to psychological trauma
• Related costs, including your transportation expenses, income losses, motorcycle damage, etc.
• Non-economic losses, including pain and suffering, emotional trauma, disability, scarring and disfigurement, etc.
• New technologies

To recover damages for the losses your health insurance won’t cover, you can file a personal injury claim against the at-fault driver.

What If You Lack Health Insurance?

Many people don’t have health insurance. If you don’t have coverage, you might not be able to pay your medical bills. Your attorney can help you seek treatment from a doctor in exchange for a medical lien against your future personal injury settlement.

Healthcare providers are sometimes willing to provide treatment in exchange for a medical lien agreement if the other party’s liability is clear. The doctor will agree to treat you and wait for your settlement to be reimbursed.

Talk to Our Experienced Motorcycle Accident Lawyers

If you’ve been injured in a motorcycle accident that wasn’t your fault, you should speak to our attorneys at Ellis & Associates. We can review the reports and your medical bills and explain your options for recovering damages. Even though health insurance won’t cover related damages, such as your income losses and non-economic damages, you might be entitled to recover them through a personal injury claim. Contact us today to schedule a free consultation by calling 800-MR-ELLIS or sending us a message online.