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Jim Dwyer

Jim Dwyer

Managing Partner

Jim Dwyer

Jim Dwyer

Managing Partner

Jim Dwyer

Jim Dwyer

Managing Partner

Jim Dwyer

Jim Dwyer

Managing Partner

Jim Dwyer

Jim Dwyer

Managing Partner

Jim Dwyer

Jim Dwyer

Managing Partner

#1 - What happens when my patient's Personal Injury Protection (PIP) runs out?

#1 What happens when my patient’s Personal Injury Protection (PIP) runs out?

For Providers, Medical Bills & Wages Loss (Providers)

QUESTION: Are there any additional options if my patient’s Personal Injury Protection (PIP) runs out?

ANSWER: Sometimes, there are additional PIP policies your patient can tap into. If on the day that the collision occurred, your patient had their own car, and they were insured, they have a secondary PIP policy they can use. Additionally, Oregon PIP statutes state that PIP coverage is available for any family member residing in the household, at the time of the collision. Your patient does not have to be named as an insured on the family member’s policy.

What happens when my patient’s personal injury protection (PIP) coverage runs out?

Here’s what you want to keep in mind. Sometimes, there are additional PIP policies your patient can tap into. Knowing the right questions to ask will help to uncover if there are other PIP policies that can be utilized — or what I call, “hidden PIP.”

Let’s look at an example of a situation where multiple PIP policies can be accessed.

If your patient is a passenger in a friend’s car and they’re involved in an accident, your patient will make a claim on the PIP policy that covers the car that they were in, right? But, what happens if the PIP coverage is exhausted? If, on the day that the collision occurred, your patient had their own car, and they were insured, — they have a secondary PIP policy they can use.

Now, let’s say that the second PIP policy is also exhausted and your patient still needs more treatment — is there more PIP coverage out there? Actually, there may be. If on the day the car accident happened, your patient was living with a family member who had their own insurance policy, your patient may be able to tap into that policy as well.

Oregon PIP statutes state that PIP coverage is available for any family member residing in the household, at the time of the collision. Your patient does not have to be named as an insured on the family member’s policy. If your patient is living with a brother (sister, cousin, parent) and that family member has an insurance policy, your patient can make a PIP claim on their brother’s policy.

In this example, your patient would have actually had three separate PIP policies that could be stacked on top of each other. This situation doesn’t happen all the time, but it’s good to keep in mind. The important thing to know is the right questions to ask to find the hidden PIP policies. The more you know, the better you can help your patient make the best recovery possible.

If you would like help coming up with a list of questions to ask — let us know. We’re more than happy to help.

THE PRACTICE OF CARE: A PROVIDERS GUIDE

PERSONAL INJURY CLAIM RESOURCES FOR HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS

We’ll send periodic posts directly to your inbox about practical and straightforward advice on how to protect yourself and your patients during the personal injury claim process.