Will My Insurance Cover Physical Therapy?
Car accident victims are among the most common types of patients seen in physical therapy. The injuries they receive, such as whiplash or worse, often require ongoing treatment to get better. However, physical therapy is expensive, and not many injury victims can afford to pay out of pocket.
Insurance plans commonly cover physical therapy and rehabilitation, but there are plenty of plans that do not feature this coverage. If you have been in an accident and need physical therapy, it’s important to know the extent of your medical coverage and how many, if any, sessions of physical therapy it covers.
Whose Insurance Pays for My Physical Therapy?
If you are injured in a car crash in Florida, your personal injury protection (PIP) coverage might handle 80% of your medical bills up to $10,000, including physical therapy when necessary.
If you have a bill of $10,000, PIP will cover $8,000 of that. But there are instances where PIP’s maximum payout is only $2,500, such as when the victim’s injuries are not considered to be a medical emergency.
The Other Driver’s Insurance
But what if your medical bills total far more than $10,000? In Florida, car accident injury victims can file a claim against an at-fault driver’s insurance company for economic and non-economic damages only if their injuries meet the state’s “serious injury” threshold.
But this scenario is only true if the at-fault driver has insurance. According to the Insurance Information Institute, around 20% of drivers in Florida don’t have insurance.
To understand how a claim such as this would work, consider an injury victim who incurs $25,000 of medical expenses, including physical therapy. If the victim has the proper PIP insurance, then they will receive 80% of the maximum of $10,000 ($8,000) from their initial claim.
The remaining $17,000 could potentially be recouped through a claim for compensation.
Uninsured Motorist Coverage
With the $10,000 maximum for PIP insurance, it’s not surprising that victims who need physical therapy bring claims for compensation against other drivers. However, not all drivers carry enough insurance to cover medical expenses that include physical therapy. And as stated, some drivers have no insurance coverage at all.
If an at-fault driver does not have the insurance to cover your claim for compensation, you could be looking at a difficult time recovering any money from them. To avoid a situation such as this, you have the option of purchasing uninsured motorist insurance coverage.
Uninsured motorist coverage has a 10/20 minimum, which means $10,000 per person and $20,000 per accident, but more coverage is available. If you have $5,000 of medical expenses remaining after exhausting your PIP and the other driver’s PIP (if they have it), your uninsured motorist coverage would cover the rest.
Your Health Insurance
Your health insurance might cover your physical therapy after all other forms of insurance coverage have been tapped. Your insurance may also cover your therapy while your claim for compensation is processed. If it does handle your bills, it will likely demand repayment of medical costs from any settlement you receive.
A Car Accident Attorney Can Explain Your Legal Options
Remember that if you have to file a claim against another driver to cover your physical therapy costs, you can also seek to recover compensation for pain and suffering and other emotional damage.
If you need physical therapy after a car accident, your PIP insurance might not be enough, but you could have options. An experienced car accident lawyer can help you navigate the complex maze of insurance coverage and learn what compensation options are available.
Contact the Jacksonville Personal Injury Law Firm of Baggett Law Personal Injury Lawyers Today For Help
For more information, please contact the Jacksonville and Ponte Vedra personal injury law firm of Baggett Law Personal Injury Lawyers at the nearest location to schedule a free consultation today.
We serve Duval County, St. Johns County, and its surrounding areas:
Baggett Law Personal Injury Lawyers – Jacksonville
9471 Baymeadows Rd #105,
Jacksonville, FL 32256
(904) 396-1100
Baggett Law Personal Injury Lawyers – Downtown Jacksonville
121 W. Forsyth St. #170,
Jacksonville, FL 32202
(904) 822-4225
Baggett Law Personal Injury Lawyers – Ponte Vedra
480 Town Plaza Ave #130,
Ponte Vedra Beach, FL 32081
(904) 675-1167