Emergency Room Bills in the Tampa,
Florida Area Can Add Up Quickly after a Car Accident
After any type of accident, many residents
of the Tampa, Florida area are shocked by the cost of
emergency room care. Even a minor bump on the head or
stitches in the hand can cost thousands of dollars, which
is financially disastrous for people who do not have insurance
coverage and are living paycheck-to-paycheck.
In addition to life's bumps and bruises,
a car accident is another reason why you might have to
visit an emergency room. Thankfully, however, at least
some of your emergency room bills should be covered by
your personal injury protection, or PIP, insurance. Florida
law requires all drivers to carry at least $10,000 of
PIP insurance coverage, but you can carry more if you
like. Also known as no-fault insurance, PIP coverage pays
80 percent of your medical expenses up to policy limits,
no matter who is at fault in the auto accident. PIP coverage
is typically the first policy to kick in after an accident,
making it the policy that usually pays toward immediate
costs like emergency room bills.
While PIP coverage offers some reimbursement
for car accident emergency room bills, you have to keep
your deductible in mind, too. For example, if you have
a $1,000 deductible, you would be required to pay that
amount out-of-pocket before your PIP coverage begins.
And, even after the PIP policy starts to pay toward your
emergency room costs, it only pays 80 percent of those
costs, leaving you responsible for the additional 20 percent.
Some people purchase insurance called MedPay which covers
the additional 20 percent that PIP does not pay.
Between sky-high emergency medical costs,
PIP deductibles and limits, and the 20 percent PIP does
not pay, a person injured in a Tampa, Florida area car
accident can be left responsible for a small fortune in
emergency room bills. But whether you went to the emergency
room after a rear-end car accident in Clearwater or a
home renovation accident in Brandon, it's important to
examine your emergency room bills to make sure you are
not being overcharged.
Experts estimate that, by looking over
emergency room bills carefully, people can reduce their
bills by up to 90 percent. Mistakes and overcharges happen
on emergency room bills all the time, so no one should
pay an emergency room bill until they read and understand
each item listed. After all, there is no need to pay for
medication you didn't receive or tests that were never
performed on you.
If you review your emergency room bill
and there are items you do not recognize, ask the hospital's
billing department to explain everything to you. You also
can speak to your Tampa car accident
attorney or a medical bill negotiation service for
assistance in understanding your emergency room bills.
Another resource is Medical Bill Advocates of America,
www.mbaofflorida.com, a nationwide advocate for consumers
who need help detecting and eliminating medical bill errors.
By going to www.mbaofflorida.com, you can find a service
near you that specializes in negotiating lower emergency
room bills.
To speak to an experienced Tampa personal
injury attorney about your emergency room bills and car
accident injuries, please contact the law firm of Dale
Appell, P.A. for a free initial consultation.
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