No-fault comes first
Car accident medical bills in New York generally go first to no-fault coverage, which pays for necessary treatment up to a limit, regardless of fault. Providers usually bill the no-fault carrier directly under a fee schedule, and they generally should not bill you for amounts above it for covered care. All of that depends on getting the application in on time, because no-fault has a short deadline. If you have not filed it, do so now and ask your providers which claim number they are using. Tell each provider at the first visit that the treatment is related to a car accident, so the bill goes to the right place from the start.
When no-fault runs out or says no
A no-fault carrier may stop paying for treatment after its own medical examination concludes the care is no longer needed, and the denial usually explains how to dispute it, often through arbitration. Once the no-fault limit is reached, health insurance typically becomes the main payer, and depending on the type of plan it may seek repayment from a settlement, which New York law limits in many cases. Medicare and Medicaid have their own repayment rights. Keep every explanation of benefits and every denial letter together. Do not ignore collection notices; send them to your lawyer, who can often redirect the bill to the right payer.
Bills in a later claim
Medical expenses that no-fault does not cover can generally be pursued against the at-fault driver, and future treatment counts too if a doctor can support it. At the outset we sort out which bills are paid, which are outstanding, and which carrier each provider should be billing. We also look at whether optional additional coverage on your own policy might help with what remains. Getting the billing straight early tends to make the rest of the claim easier. If you have been paying out of pocket, keep the receipts, because some of those costs may be recoverable.
