Auto Injury (Personal Injury/Settlement)
Settlement/3rd party Patients
What does it mean to be a "settlement" or "3rd party liability" patient at this clinic?
This means that we are agreeing to treat you for your automobile or injury claim but that there is no personal injury protection available to you. As a third party claim we hold bills until the end of your treatment. Once you have completed your treatment here, we wrap up your claim and will send your files, notes and bills to your attorney. At the time of settlement your bill will be paid by your settlement claim, not you. A third-party liability claim has up to three years from the last date of treatment to settle and pay out the providers that treated you for this claim.
Why do I have to pay to be treated for my injury if I have an attorney? Will I be reimbursed?
We will gladly hold medical bills and would love to be a part of your healing journey. However, in order to pay your therapists and the overhead it takes to treat you, we kindly ask from you during this time to pay a $40 visit fee. This fee will be completely reimbursed to you in full at the end of your settlement. Collecting this fee also helps prove the medical need for these visits. This fee is waived as a courtesy if/when you sign with our trusted attorney that we highly recommend. Sears Injury Law, we waive this fee for this attorney only because they have proved to use over and over again throughout the years that they have our backs as a small business but also that they are willing to step up and fight for our patients where many other law firms have not.
Why do I need legal representation to be treated at this clinic as a settlement patient?
Without legal representation protecting both us and our patients we have no true evidence that we will be reimbursed for our services provided, and the very last thing we want at this clinic is to surprise our patients with large bills of non-covered treatment.
Billing Structure
At our clinic, we charge $200 for 55 minutes of massage therapy, this is an across-the-board fee, the $90 rate you see is a "cash discount" for those paying at the time of service. This rate reflects the average fees of clinics in our area and is important for maintaining fairness within our massage community. Since we hold bills for settlement patients—sometimes for up to three years—this fee allows us to pay our employees and cover overhead costs while awaiting settlement payments.
Documentation and Communication
It is crucial that we keep your referral documents on file to demonstrate medical necessity during your treatment. We will communicate regularly with your attorney and any other medical providers involved in your care to ensure your claim runs smoothly. Please know that we are here to assist you throughout this process.
Personal Injury Protection (PIP) Patients
What does it mean to be a "Personal Injury Patient" (PIP) at this clinic?
This means you have been in an automobile accident and that your treatment here is going to be covered fully by a Personal Injury Protection plan, also known as no-fault insurance. PIP coverage protects you and your passengers regardless of who is at fault. It can often include lost wages, too.
Why do I need a referral to seek treatment under an accident?
Massage Therapy is not a self-referable modality. If treatment is provided without a referral present it may be deemed "not medically necessary", regardless of what we say, think or feel here. Referrals may be from Emergency room, doctor, chiropractor, ARNP, etc.
Why do we recommend legal representation for your injury claim?
We have been a leading injury treatment clinic for over a decade. We have worked with countless patients and those that have legal representation are well taken care of and financially protected during the claims process.
How soon should you establish legal representation after your accident?
The sooner the better. The at fault party's insurance company will have lawyers doing everything they can to deny your claim. Your attorney will be your sole contact during this process and will fight the insurance company on your behalf.
What does it mean to be a "settlement" patient at this clinic?
This means that we are agreeing to treat you for your automobile or injury claim but that there is no personal injury protection available to you. As a third party claim we hold bills until the end of your treatment. Once you have completed your treatment here, we wrap up your claim and will send your files, notes and bills to your attorney. At the time of settlement your bill will be paid by your settlement claim, not you. A third-party liability claim has up to three years from the last date of treatment to settle and pay out the providers that treated you for this claim.
Billing StructureAt our clinic, we charge $200 for 55 minutes of massage therapy, this is an across-the-board fee, the $90 rate you see is a "cash discount" for those paying at the time of service. This rate reflects the average fees of clinics in our area and is important for maintaining fairness within our massage community. Since we hold bills for settlement patients—sometimes for up to three years—this fee allows us to pay our employees and cover overhead costs while awaiting settlement payments.
Which Attorney/Law Firms do Meridian Medical Massage recommend?
After over a decade in this field we have worked with almost ALL the attorneys in this area and some are good, some are mediocre, some are terrible, and some are outstanding. We personally ONLY recommend ONE firm at this clinic because they handle every single case with passion and respect and ALWAYS do what is best for our patients, while also taking care of us as providers as well. This firm has proved over and over that they care about the patients and not the dollar amount behind their claims. When other law firms have turned away our patients, they are always eager to try and help the best they can! The law firm we highly recommend is Sears Injury Law. In fact, we so highly recommend and trust this law firm that we will waive your $40 per visit fee for all settlement patients that choose to sign with this law firm!
What happens when my Personal Injury funds are exhausted?
If you have an attorney on your side, we are able to continue to treat you (at $40/visit) until you are fully recovered from the accident and have reached "maximum medical improvement". We do our very best to report to you as soon as possible when we find out that your funds have become exhausted. However, until we get the letter from your insurance company there is no way for us to know exactly when that may happen. The best way to make sure you do not exceed your policy limits is to know your limits and to keep track of your medical bills while being treated under your claim. If your funds become exhausted and you choose to not retain an attorney and to end treatment you will be financially responsible for any and all amounts not covered by your Personal Injury funds.
If you have any further questions regarding anything you have read here, please do not hesitate to contact our office at 253-553-9928.