Covering yourself with a reliable health insurance plan is probably something you did years ago. However if you do become unwell or get injured, it can be frustrating having to use it, especially if the insurance plan doesn’t cover all of the costs for the treatment. Thankfully, there’s a few instances where you don’t have to use your personal health insurance and where there may be extra help available to cover these costs. Let’s take a look at some instances where you shouldn’t have to use your personal insurance to cover costs.

Work injuries

Being injured at work and having to use your own health insurance isn’t nice, especially if your employer is encouraging you to do so. However, you are entitled to their workers’ injury compensation, and you should use it, especially if the injury was from their lack of diligence.

An example of them would be if you used machinery that hadn’t been tested recently, or were encouraged to use something without the proper training. In cases like these, you’d have the right to claim against your employers without being discriminated against in the workplace. Regardless of whether your injury or illness disabled you, you’d also have the right to claim for compensation, even if you were planning on returning to work.

However we all know that some employers will try to get out of paying compensation or for health insurance, and if your claims are dismissed, you can hire a professional to reopen the case and represent you.

This may cost you out of pocket to begin with, so it’s important to take into consideration whether it’s worth the cost if the case isn’t won. That’s why workers’ injury compensation is great, because you can put it towards the cost of legal fees.

Vehicle accidents

Vehicle accidents can be devastating, and if you’re not the one at fault, it’s up to the driver that is at fault to pay out of their insurance for any medical costs. The same rule actually applies if you were just a passenger in the car. The driver at fault would also be liable to pay for your medical costs too.

It’s worth checking your car insurance to see if this is a cost that’s covered and if it’s not, consider adding it to cover costs should this happen, especially if it’s something you’re particularly worried about. Remember that if you’re at fault and under the influence of alcohol, your policy may no longer cover you even if you’ve been paying for it.

Again, claiming against a driver at fault might not be as cut and dry as it sounds, especially if it’s not clear who exactly was at fault, if anyone. In this instance, calling a Car Accident Lawyer is your safest bet. They can take a look at the evidence (it would be helpful if you had a dash cam installed) and decide whether you have a good chance at winning a lawsuit. This can be costly, so take this into consideration.

Travel insurance

Sometimes purchasing a different kind of insurance may save you from delving into your personal health insurance. Travel insurance is a prime example of this. Many people tend to waver the chance to take out travel insurance and then regret it when medical costs come rolling in.

While it might not be a cost you want to fork out for, travel insurance isn’t expensive, and you’re only paying it for the time you’re away. Medical treatment in foreign countries could turn out to be very expensive, so it’s in your best interest to cover yourself just in case. Not only that, if the illness or injury being treated is minor enough, you may be able to pay cash in hand and not touch your medical insurance anyway.

Out and about

There are times when you may become injured outside of your home that aren’t your fault too. This could be a sinkhole not covered by signs or a sidewalk that’s unsafe. Either way, these things aren’t your fault and you shouldn’t delve into your personal health insurance to pay for it.

Your next action should be to reach out to your local government and report the accident, while informing them you’re going to make a claim. They will be able to advise you what your next steps should be, or direct you to the right place.

Unfortunately, situations like this will often end in court, as local governments would rather protect themselves. Local governments will have top lawyers so make sure you’re 100% certain it was their fault and not yours. Evidence to back up your claim that is timestamped is important, as quite often when things like this happen, they will resolve the issue to try and get out of paying.

You may find you have to represent yourself, so now is a good time to prepare. If you’d like, you can have a family member or friend represent you if you’re too nervous. Or, there’s the option of hiring a lawyer, but this may be a costly route, especially if you don’t win the court case.

Another thing you need to do is inform your personal health insurance company of what’s happened to prevent any of your premiums from rising until the case is settled. While this might not be something that happens to you, it’s not unheard of, so your best bet is to cover yourself.

Conclusion 

As you can see, avoiding dipping into your personal health insurance is possible, but also easier said than done. The important thing here is to know when to fight your battles, and always research what you’re entitled to if something happens that isn’t your fault.

Your next step of course is to be careful. Accidents can happen anywhere and everywhere, and there isn’t always someone to blame. So, if you don’t want to dip into your health insurance, you’ll need to be digilant. Have jobs around the home completed by professionals, take your car to the mechanic, and when you’re out and about, be wary of dangers lurking around you.

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