You may think that dealing with the medical issues related to your worker’s comp case may be simpler if you are eligible for Medicare …. but you would be wrong, very wrong.
The way that Medicare works is that it considers itself a secondary payer to other responsible parties which would include worker’s compensation and liability insurance carriers. This means that where there is someone else who is responsible for paying medical expenses, Medicare expects that entity to pay before it ever will.
And most of the time, that is just how it works. Since payment of medical expenses related to your work injury is one of the basic benefits you get in a worker’s compensation case, Medicare doesn’t have to pay for your care.
Where this gets very complicated is where there is the potential for future accident-related medical care after the conclusion of your case. In that case you are required to create a “Medicare set-aside” which would fund your future medical care before Medicare would step in and pay additional medical expenses.
Without going into the subject too deeply, this is one area where you should get help from a well-qualified worker’s compensation lawyer about how to get one set up and how to handle the money that is out into the Medicare set aside.
It is too important for you to try to go it alone or to rely on the insurance company to protect your interests.
If you have a current worker’s compensation issue which you need help on, please feel free to reach out to our office by calling the office at 312-263-1080 to discuss your issues and what options you have. There is no obligation to hire our law firm, and there is no charge for the call.
I hope this has been helpful, and if you know anyone who can benefit from this kind of information, please feel free to share this information.
We are here to help truck drivers after an on-the-job accident. Knowledge is power, and the first step in protecting your rights is to know what they are.
Stay safe!
