Auto Accident

Auto Accidents happen, especially here with the unpredictable weather in Northern Colorado.

By Colorado Law: Auto Insurance ‘MED-PAY’ Now can cover your chiropractic and bodywork if you are in an auto accident!

On January 1, 2009 Colorado auto insurance companies were mandated by law to include a minimum of $5,000 of medical Payment Coverage (Med-Pay) to consumers’ auto insurance policies.  Read more about why this is important to understand:

Med-Pay benefits are paid to ambulances, hospitals, emergency rooms and health care providers such as chiropractors, massage therapists and acupuncturists, for injuries resulting from driving or riding in a vehicle involved in a motor vehicle accident. 

Your ‘ordinary’ health insurance typically limits $500-$1,000 towards musculo-skeletal care, or a limit on the number of treatments for auto accidents.  Ironically, musculo-skeletal care, which is bodywork such as chiropractic and massage, is precisely what you need after an accident as it is the only care that is clinically proven to help restore the body close to pre-accident level of health.

The question is: Do you know if you have Med-Pay accident coverage on your auto policy?

Important facts about the importance of Med-Pay coverage:

§ If an auto owner does have Med-Pay, the driver and all of their passengers will have bodily injury coverage.  That includes any family, relatives, friends, neighbors, classmates, etc. traveling in the car…they are covered.

§ Without Med-Pay the vehicle owner is personally responsible for all medical bills for all passengers.

§ Med-Pay automatically provides at least $5,000 in medical/bodywork coverage for each person in the vehicle, including the driver.

§ Med-Pay does not duplicate your current health insurance.

What are the extra costs on your auto insurance coverage?The Colorado Division of Insurance has estimated that $5,000 in Med-Pay will only cost an average of $64.tear ($10,000 in coverage averages just $95/year and $25,000 averages only $124/year!)  With your auto policy in Colorado, you are entitled to purchase up to $100,000 of Med-Pay coverage.

What are the costs if you “opt-out” of the coverage?

Consumers may choose to “opt-out” of this product.  Unfortunately, many auto insurance agents have actually pushed for you to ‘opt-out’ of this coverage just to save a couple of dollars a month on your premium.  This is really unfortunate as the actual savings is very negligible, amounting to about $5 per month…whereas the potential costs to you if you do opt-out can be enormous. Most ordinary health insurance policies have you pay higher separate deductibles when used towards auto accident injuries.  However, with Med-Pay you do not even activate your regular health insurance unless your auto Med-Pay accident coverage runs out.

What happens if I get in an auto accident?

Living in Colorado we all know the treacherous road conditions, black-ice, and frequent white-outs that can be faced during the winter.  It is very important you consider having the coverage you need before you need it.  At Irwin Family Chiropractic we see dozens of auto accident patrons each winter season.  Last year only half had Med-Pay coverage!  Out of those who did not have it, every single one wished they did and actually added it to their auto policies for the future!

By having auto insurance Med-Pay you will have the ease of knowing that if you are in an auto accident you are in an auto accident you are able to get the care needed to get back into your regular life and back into your pre-accident health condition.

WHAT IF?

If…you are in an auto accident and there may be major/life-threatening injuries to any of the parties involved, immediately call 911 so that emergency personnel can help.  An individual who has been in an accident should make sure they have no life-threatening emergency- broken bones, bleeding, internal organ damage, shock or other types of traumas.

If…you are in a ‘minor’ fender bender and an ambulance is not needed at the scene, you should consider visiting your physician’s office to insure there is no bodily injury of harm caused by the impact of the accident.  If already under care of a chiropractor, be sure to let them know that you were in an accident so that they can start a new care plan to get you back to where you were pre-accident.  At Irwin Family Chiropractic, we utilize chiropractic care, rehabilitative exercises as well as massage therapy sessions to restore a patron to their pre-accident condition.

If…after the accident you are feeling post-accident symptoms such as tightness, pain or spasms in the neck, shoulder, arms or back, sleeplessness, headaches, fatigue and low energy, you should see a chiropractor as soon as possible.  A lot of accident victims, even after receiving medical attention after the accident, still do not feel 100% and can suffer from a string of symptoms for months and even years after the accident occurred.  Every trauma has the potential to cause vertebral subluxations, an area of abnormal stress in your spine, which can be treated by chiropractic. 

Our location is at the crossroads of Drake & Shields in the Raintree shopping center.

Irwin Family Chiropractic & Avanti Bodywork

2531 South Shields St, Suite J, Fort Collins

970.472.8333.

If you have ever been involved in an auto accident visit Irwin Family Chiropractic to see one of our chiropractors to ensure that your body has healed as completely as possible so that you can continue to live a healthy and active lifestyle.