Under New Jersey law, you can name your health insurance provider as your PIP (personal injury protection) option for medical care in the event of a motor vehicle accident. If you do, that company will be the primary source to pay for any medical treatment required in an accident.

Choosing your health insurance company as primary provider in the event of a motor vehicle accident can minimize the total amount that you have to pay in insurance premiums, but there can be consequences to making that decision. Before you opt to designate your health insurance provider as your PIP option, you should consider the following issues:

• Are you currently insured through Medicaid or Medicare? Under Medicaid and Medicare provisions, you cannot select either one as your primary provider for a motor vehicle accident. Medicaid and Medicare will only pay benefits if you have exceeded the PIP limits of liability on your auto policy.
• Are motor vehicle accident injuries excluded from coverage on your health policy? Some health insurance policies specifically exclude any injuries sustained in a car accident. Check with your insurer.
• Be certain you know deductibles, co-pays, limits and pre-certification requirements of your health insurance policy—Certain procedures may require pre-certification to qualify for reimbursement. In addition, any deductibles or co-pays apply to motor vehicle accident injuries.
• What happens if your health insurance is terminated? You can look to your auto insurance provider if that happens, but you will have an additional $750 deductible that you’ll have to meet before you get reimbursement.

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At Taylor & Boguski, we bring more than 70 years of combined legal experience to injured people throughout New Jersey. For a free initial consultation, contact our office online or call us at 856-200-8989.