Hit by an uninsured driver

I was riding my bicycle and got hit by a car.  I wasn’t hurt badly, but was scraped up and rattled enough that I went to get checked at the hospital.  The driver turned out to have no car insurance.  My health insurance paid for my hospital visit.  Now, the driver’s parents have sent me a check for the hospital bill.  Do I owe this money back to my health plan?  I had to pay part of the hospital bill too.

Hit But Not Hurt

Dear Hit But Not Hurt,

Yes, you do owe the money to your health plan. When you enrolled in the health plan and when you submitted the claim, you agreed to allow them to recoup money from any responsible party. It does not matter whether the responsible party was insured or uninsured; if they paid, the health plan has the right to recoup the money it paid for your care.

You only owe the plan what the plan paid for your care.  You can keep the money that you paid for the hospital bill.

Call the number on the back of your ID card and explain the situation.  They will tell you what to do.

If you do not notify the health plan, chances are they will notify you.  The hospital’s bill told them that your injury was from a car hitting you.  That will trigger the health plan to seek out the driver for payment.

Linda Riddell

About Linda Riddell

A published author and health policy analyst with 25 years’ experience, Linda Riddell's goal is to alleviate the widespread ailment of not knowing what your health plan can do for you.