Medical expenses are often difficult to pay, and families become burdened by bills after multiple or serious injuries and illnesses. As people age and as families grow larger, medical expenses also increase. However, not all medical expenses are the patient’s responsibility. In cases of medical malpractice and product recall, doctors, hospitals and manufacturers should bear the brunt, if not all, of the medical expense.
Medical expenses are often not completely covered by insurance companies when they should be. Sometimes, in cases of insurance fraud, insurance companies will not pay medical expenses that they are suppose to cover. This often happens when medical expenses are incurred after automobile accidents or when patients file worker’s compensation claims.
When choosing an insurance provider, you should be careful to read the fine print, be wary of paying in cash or providing a year’s worth of payments, and avoid signing a blank insurance form.
Make sure you know which medical expenses are deductible on your taxes as well, and choose the right tax forms. You can deduct payments for diagnosis, cure, mitigation, treatment and prevention of your illness or injury, which includes any mental illness. However, medical expenses must total more than 7.5 percent of your adjusted gross income before you can claim medical expenses as a deduction on your tax forms.
Most importantly, know your rights. Medical expenses might not be your responsibility if:
- there has been medical malpractice, such as negligence and failure to accurately diagnose, treat or prevent an illness
- you receive an injury that could have been prevented under certain circumstances, such as dog bites; injuries from a car, plane or motorcycle accident; injuries from defective products; falls; work-related accidents; assaults; chemical or asbestos exposure, etc.
- you are a recipient of a recalled medical device
- you believe your insurance company is supposed to pay
- medical expenses are deductible on your tax forms and amount to more than 7.5 percent of your adjusted gross income
This list does not include all of the possible instances for which someone else should pay your medical expenses. Contact a medical malpractice attorney or a personal injury attorney so that you can better understand your rights.
