What Should I do if My Employer’s Insurance Carrier Isn’t Covering My Hospital Bills for the Work Injury I Suffered?
If you suffered a work injury that required you to seek immediate medical assistance at your local emergency room and are now receiving a bill for the services you had rendered, you are going to want to bring this to your employer’s attention. Anytime a worker sustains an injury at work and receives medical care to treat it, their employer’s insurance carrier is expected to satisfy the bill given the employee is covered under their employer’s worker’s compensation policy.
When a worker is covered by their employer’s insurance policy, Sec. 408.021 of Texas’ Labor Code states that the employee is specifically entitled to health care that:
- “Cures or relieves the effects naturally resulting from the compensable injury.”
- “Promotes recovery.”
- “Enhances the ability of the employee to return to or retain employment.”
In fact, the law not only requires that all medical benefits are payable from the date of the compensable injury, but it also states that a doctor is not permitted to bill you for treatment of a work-related injury or illness. The Texas Department of Insurance says that a physician can send you a copy of the bill marked “information only” given you request it. Some of the other things a physician cannot do include:
- Send you a bill even if you do not request an information copy.
- Have a collection agency send you a letter or attempt to contact you some other way.
- File a lawsuit against you.
Now, because employees who are eligible to receive worker’s compensation benefits are entitled to have their medical care covered, if you received a bill from the hospital, we do suggest you speak to your employer about this. He or she may recommend that you contact the insurance carrier and have them rectify the issue.
What if the insurer claims my employer is not required to pay this bill but that I am?
If you find that the insurer isn’t willing to pay your claim and instead continues to pursue you for the outstanding amount by sending you statement after statement in the mail, don’t wait to contact Blizzard Greenberg, PLLC to speak with a Houston, Texas, personal injury attorney. Not only can our firm help you to get the situation sorted out so that your medical expenses are covered, but we can assess your injuries to determine if your employer is providing you with all of the benefits you are actually entitled to receive.
Aside from medical care, victims of work-related accidents are generally able to collect a portion of the income they would normally earn in the event their injury has interfered with their ability to work. If you would like to find out more about the benefits you might be eligible to receive, contact our firm now to speak with a Houston, Texas personal injury lawyer who will ensure you understand your rights as a victim of a work-related incident.
You can reach Blizzard Greenberg, PLLC at:
2 Riverway Drive #1240
Houston, TX 77056
Phone: 713-844-3750
Website: www.blizzardlaw.com
