Does Health Insurance Cover Motorcycle Accident Injuries?

Injuries from a motorcycle accident can be costly to treat and leave you on the hook to foot the bill. Many people get health coverage through their employer or the government, so it’s natural to wonder: does health insurance cover motorcycle accident injuries?

The answer is yes; health insurance will pay for motorcycle accident injuries. However, there are several downsides to using health insurance to cover your accident costs, and you should not rely solely on health insurance to recover your losses. 

Why You Shouldn’t Rely on Health Insurance After a Motorcycle Accident

While you may be able to receive some reimbursement from your health insurance provider, you probably will still need to pay some expenses out of pocket. Here are a few costs that your medical insurance probably will not cover: 

• You will have to pay a deductible. Most insurance plans require you to pay a deductible out of your pocket before they kick in and start paying for costs. 
• Coverage limits might be inadequate. Typical health insurance coverage might not be enough to pay for the kind of catastrophic injuries a motorcycle accident can cause. Health insurance also may not cover continuing medical costs, like medications. 
• Health insurance won’t cover other losses. Health insurance covers medical bills, but it won’t cover your other losses, like lost work income or property damage. 

What Your Health Insurance May Not Cover

• Co-pays
• Off-label prescriptions
• New technologies
• Lost wages
• Pain and suffering
• Mental anguish

Seeking an insurance payout from the insurance company can provide funds for these extraneous expenses. 

Understanding Medical Liens

If you do not have health insurance or your insurance only covers some of the medical treatments you need after your accident, your doctor may be willing to provide care under a medical lien agreement. 

A medical lien is an agreement to give your healthcare provider a portion of your motorcycle accident settlement after you receive it in exchange for treating you now. Basically, when your provider signs a lien, they agree to provide healthcare on credit, knowing that you may receive an extensive enough settlement to pay them back down the line. 

Signing a medical lien with your healthcare provider is an effective way to afford the medical treatments you may not be able to cover with a limited health insurance plan.

You Can File a Personal Injury Claim for Financial Compensation

Instead of relying on your health insurance after a motorcycle accident, you can file a personal injury claim against the at-fault driver to recover what you lost. Personal injury settlements will include compensation for:

• Medical bills
• Lost work income
• Reduced earning capacity
• Out-of-pocket expenses (e.g., medical equipment)
• Pain and suffering
• Property damage

A personal injury attorney like the ones at Law Tigers can calculate your past and future expenses after a motorcycle accident to ensure that you demand adequate compensation. 

Health Insurance and Subrogation After a Motorcycle Accident

If you use your health insurance to cover some of your medical bills and then receive a settlement from a third party, your health insurance company might have the right of subrogation. Subrogation means that the health insurance company can request that a third-party settlement reimburse them partially or fully for medical expenses they paid. 

In practical terms, that means your health insurance company can take a portion of your settlement to cover their expenses. Whether or not your health insurance company has subrogation rights depends on the specific policy agreement. That is why calling a lawyer before using health insurance is important — they can determine whether your policy has a subrogation clause. If they are not, an attorney will ensure health insurance companies only receive what the law entitles them to. 

How Our Motorcycle Accident Attorney Team Can Help 

If your motorcycle accident occurred due to another driver’s negligence — such as the other driver disobeying speed limits or other traffic laws — you shouldn’t need to feel burdened by the resulting medical expenses. 

Instead, the at-fault driver’s auto insurance company should provide you with a large enough claim payment to cover all of your resulting expenses, including your medical treatments. However, because insurance companies are in the business of making money, they often refuse to provide adequate funds to accident victims. 

At Law Tigers Motorcycle Lawyers, we have years of experience helping motorcycle accident victims like you receive adequate compensation for their injuries and other damages. When you work with our team, we can provide the following essential services: 

• Gather evidence to support your claim: If the insurance company refuses to increase your payout, they may need more proof of your expenses and the at-fault driver’s role in the accident. We can help you gather evidence to support your accident claim and increase your payout. 
• Communicate and negotiate with the at-fault driver’s insurance: We’ll also handle all of the communications with the insurance company for you, allowing you to get back to recovering from your injuries. Our legal experience enables us to negotiate confidently on our clients’ behalf. 
• Represent you in court: If the insurance company refuses to settle, we’ll represent you in court and show the judge why the insurer should increase your payout. 

While the answer to, “Does health insurance cover motorcycle accident injuries?” is “Yes,” you may not receive all of the necessary funds from your health insurance provider. Instead, you may also need to seek compensation from the at-fault driver’s insurance.

For more information about our motorcycle accident legal services, contact our Law Tigers team today at 1-888-863-7216.