The Truth Behind Car Insurance — Part One
In New York state, automobile insurance companies are required to provide no-fault benefits as part of every policy for the vehicles they insure. Also known as personal injury protection (PIP), these benefits cover medical expenses and a portion of lost wages regardless of who or what was to blame for causing the accident.
If you’re injured in a car accident and need surgery, your insurance company is supposed to pay for it as part of your no-fault/PIP coverage. However, now more than ever, car insurance companies are denying medical bills with alarming frequency—and getting away with it. That’s right: they’re denying medical bills after surgery (or any other accident-related medical treatment) that’s already been performed. So, you have to pay the bill out of your own pocket, your health insurance pays it (with you paying co-payments and deductibles), or Medicaid or Medicare pays it—or it simply goes unpaid.
This isn’t right. The law must be changed to require insurers to pre-authorize medical treatment. Unfortunately, that will take time. Until then, if you have questions or need help with a car accident injury claim, or another car accident-related issue, please call or text our offices at 585-475-1100.
To learn more about our car accident and personal injury attorneys, visit our website. And to read about other insurance and personal injury-related topics, please visit our blog.