Thunder Roads Colorado Magazine Volume 11 Issue 8 | Page 11

Hospital Shenanigans: Know Your Rights By Scott O’Sullivan O’Sullivan Law Firm Please read this article before you get on your motorcycle again! If you get in an accident and end up in the hospital, you need this information. Hospitals are playing games with insurance and it could impact your life deeply. (In fact, make sure you pass this information on to your friends and family.) Here’s what’s happening, and this scenario is playing out all over Colorado right now: Victims of auto accidents and motorcycle accidents are entering emergency rooms and trying to supply the hospital with their health insurance information to cover their bills. Hospitals are saying (in a nutshell): “Oh, you shouldn’t have to pay for this. You were the victim. Give us the other driver’s insurance information and we will bill them instead.” Sounds so nice, right? But hospitals can’t do anything with the other driver’s insurance. Nothing. Nada. Here’s what they’re really doing: They are avoiding billing until the victims settle their lawsuits and the hospitals then get their fees paid out of the settlement. It’s complicated, but here’s why they are doing this: ❱❱ Hospitals have agreements with health insurance providers that allow them to be paid only a percentage of a full bill, usually .50 or .60 cents on the dollar. ❱❱ Hospitals are instead trying to forego billing and then they put a lien on any settlement that the victim receives as a resul