In Massachusetts, the question of who pays for your medical bills if you’re involved in an automobile accident is not as straightforward as it might seem. If you have health insurance, you may assume that your health insurer will take care of your bills. However, this is not completely correct.

In Massachusetts, all motorists are required to carry Personal Injury Protection (PIP) coverage, which provides $8,000 of coverage for medical bills, copayments, and lost wages. If you have private health insurance, your health insurer will not pay any of your bills until PIP has paid the first $2,000 worth of medical bills. The rules are different if you are on Medicare or MassHealth, as these insurers require that PIP pay the full $8,000 in benefits before they pay any medical bills.

This interplay between PIP and health insurers can lead to all sorts of problems, as health care providers will often try to bill the wrong insurer. This scenario often leads to your health insurer or car insurer denying coverage, and collection notices being sent to you, the patient. Therefore, even if you are reluctant to file a claim for your injuries, it makes a lot of sense to hire a lawyer to sort through the insurance issues. You may even get a check for pain and suffering for your trouble.

If you’ve been injured an an automobile accident in Massachusetts, please contact KPDM Law, LLC toay at 617-804-5736.