Michigan Law on Paying Medical Bills: Your Rights and Options

Michigan law provides protections for patients who are struggling to pay their medical bills. You have the right to request a written payment plan from your healthcare provider.

In Michigan, healthcare providers are required to provide patients with a written notice of their billing rights, which includes the right to request a payment plan. This notice must be provided at the time of service or within 30 days of receiving a bill.

If you're unable to pay your medical bills, you should reach out to your healthcare provider to discuss possible payment options. They may be willing to work with you to set up a payment plan or reduce the amount you owe.

Under Michigan law, hospitals and healthcare providers are prohibited from engaging in abusive or deceptive billing practices. This includes charging patients for services they didn't receive or billing for services that were not medically necessary.

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If you're struggling to understand the Michigan Surprise Billing Law, you're not alone. Many physicians have been seeking guidance on how to navigate this complex law. Rivet Health Law has been helping physicians understand the law since its enactment.

The law involves several factors to consider under both state and federal law, including the Federal No Surprise Act. This means you need to be aware of multiple regulations to ensure compliance.

Rivet Health Law can assist with a range of tasks, from practice education to drafting policies and notice and consents.

Surprise billing can happen unexpectedly, like when you have an emergency or when you're treated by an out-of-network provider at an in-network facility.

This type of billing is likely to cost thousands of dollars, depending on the procedure or service.

Surprise billing is essentially an unexpected balance bill, which can be overwhelming and stressful to deal with.

You may receive a balance bill if you see an out-of-network provider, even if you thought you were seeing an in-network provider.

Out-of-network providers may be allowed to bill you for the difference between what your plan pays and the full amount charged for a service.

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Understanding the Law can be overwhelming, especially when it comes to navigating surprise medical bills. The Michigan Surprise Billing Law and the Federal No Surprise Act are two laws that physicians need to understand.

Rivet Health Law has been helping physicians understand these laws since they were enacted, including providing practice education and assistance with arbitration and claims negotiation.

The laws require careful consideration of several factors, including drafting policies and obtaining notice and consents from patients.

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As a Michigander, it's essential to know your rights when it comes to paying medical bills. You have protections against surprise medical bills, which can be a huge relief.

In emergency situations, you shouldn't be charged more than your plan's copayments, coinsurance, and/or deductible. This means you can get the care you need without breaking the bank.

If you're treated by an out-of-network provider at an in-network hospital or ambulatory surgical center, you're protected from balance billing. This is a big deal, as it can save you thousands of dollars.

You shouldn't be charged more than your plan's copayments, coinsurance, and/or deductible. Period.

Your health insurance may be the primary payer for medical bills after a car accident in Michigan if you have coordinated auto No-Fault insurance coverage.

If you have uncoordinated auto insurance coverage, your auto No-Fault insurance company will be the primary source of payment for your accident-related medical costs.

Medicaid is a secondary payer for medical bills after a car accident in Michigan, and if it ends up paying, it will seek reimbursement from another insurance company.

It's possible that Medicaid is paying medical bills by mistake if an insurance company with higher priority to pay is not covering the costs.

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In Michigan, your private health insurance will pay for medical bills after a car accident if you have coordinated auto No-Fault insurance coverage.

This means your health insurance will be the primary payer, being first to pay and then No-Fault will pick up from there if coverage is exhausted.

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However, if you have uncoordinated auto insurance coverage, your auto No-Fault insurance company will be your first source of payment for your accident-related medical costs.

You may still end up having to rely on health insurance for payment of your accident-related medical costs if your auto insurance policy provides for less than unlimited No-Fault PIP medical benefits coverage.

If your auto insurance policy has a No-Fault PIP medical benefits coverage level that is insufficient to cover the full extent of your medical costs, you may need to use health insurance to cover the remaining costs.

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Medicaid is a secondary payer under federal law, meaning it's not supposed to be the primary payer for medical bills after a car accident in Michigan.

If Medicaid does end up paying for medical bills after a car accident, it will likely be paying by mistake. This happens when an insurance company, such as an auto No-Fault insurer or a health insurer, has a higher priority to pay over Medicaid but isn't doing so.

You must let your attorney know immediately if Medicaid is paying for your medical bills after a car accident in Michigan.

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In Michigan, medical bills are paid after a car accident by the responsible auto insurance company. If you have a No-Fault auto insurance policy in your name, your insurance company will pay. If not, the auto insurance company for your spouse or a relative who lives in your home may pay.

If you don't have No-Fault coverage through any of those sources, the Michigan Assigned Claims Plan will assign an insurance company to pay. This plan is in place to ensure everyone has access to medical care after an accident.

Your private health insurance will pay if you have coordinated auto No-Fault insurance coverage. This means your health insurance will be the first to pay, and if that coverage is exhausted, No-Fault will pick up from there. However, if you have uncoordinated auto insurance coverage, your No-Fault insurance company will be your first source of payment for accident-related medical costs.

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Medicare and Medicaid are considered secondary payers under federal law, meaning they won't be the primary payer for medical bills after a car accident in Michigan. If they do end up paying, they will seek reimbursement from the injured party.

If you were injured in a car accident while working, Workers' Comp will pay your medical bills. This is because Workers' Comp is designed to provide medical benefits to workers who are injured on the job.

Here are the different entities that may pay your medical bills after a car accident in Michigan:

In Michigan, the amount of No-Fault PIP medical benefits you're entitled to after a car accident will be limited by the coverage level selected in your auto policy.

The new No-Fault law limits the amount of No-Fault PIP medical benefits to the coverage level chosen in your policy, which can be $50,000, $250,000, $500,000, or unlimited.

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Other sources of payment, such as health insurance, may also be used to cover medical bills.

If your auto insurance company refuses to pay medical bills after a car accident, you may have to file a first-party lawsuit seeking payment of unpaid benefits.

You'll only be able to sue if the dollar amount of your bills is less than the No-Fault PIP medical benefits coverage level in your policy.

Here are the available No-Fault PIP medical benefits coverage levels:

If your insurance company cuts off payment of No-Fault PIP medical benefits, you'll need to submit your medical statements within 90 days of treatment to avoid having your bills deemed overdue.