No-Fault Managed Care Comes at Too Great a Price
Be Careful! Do not accept No-Fault Managed Care on your automobile insurance policy. The very small savings on your premium comes at too great a price! When you purchase or renew your automobile insurance do not fall into the insurance companies' trap and opt for No-Fault Managed Care. If you are involved in an automobile accident and are seriously injured you need to have the ability to have treatment with the doctors of your choice. Under Managed Care, before obtaining any medical care, other than the initial emergency room care, you need to get pre approval from the insurance carrier. Without pre authorization you are liable for a deductible and co-payment. The very, very small discount on your premium for opting for No-Fault Managed Care is not worth it.
Recently a client came to our office after an automobile accident in which she was badly hurt. When she purchased her automobile insurance she opted for No-Fault Managed Care because the premium was 15% less on the No-Fault portion of the policy. She saved $15.00 out of a $1095.00 premium. This $15.00 savings came at a great cost. After her accident, our client needed to get pre-authorization from her automobile insurance carrier before obtaining medical treatment. Without pre-authorization, she was liable to pay a $2,500.00 deductible and a 25% co-payment after the deductible. Since her medical expenses were not pre-authorized and amounted to $3,500.00, she was required to pay $2,500.00 for the deductible and $250.00, 25% of the remaining $1,000.00. Her insurance company would only pay $750.00 of her $3,500.00 in expenses. Clearly the $15.00 savings on premium wasn't worth the cost.
Accident Checklist
If you are in an accident the following is a checklist of the steps you should follow:
- Stop immediately and check for injuries. If you or anyone in your vehicle is hurt seek medical attention as soon as possible.
- Identify yourself to other involved parties. Have your driver's license and proof of insurance available. Obtain the other party's information and record their license plate number.
- Notify the police and wait for the police to arrive before leaving the scene of the accident.
- Do not discuss how the accident happened with anyone on the scene except the police.
- Before giving statements to anyone speak to an attorney at Sanders, Sanders, Block, Woycik, Viener & Grossman, P.C.
