Watch What You Sign — Medical Payment Benefits

The Virginia Supreme Court recently ruled that an auto accident victim, who signed a “Consent to Treatment” form at the hospital emergency room, after being taken there from the accident scene, could not later “revoke” the provision in the form which assigned insurance benefits (medical payment benefits) to get the money directly. The hospital sought to enforce the assignment, to thus get paid from the victim’s insurance company, and the victim wanted his insurance company to pay him, and not the hospital. No way said the Supremes. The victim signed a form assigning the money to the hospital, and the hospital gets it.

Morale: Watch what you sign. There is noting inherently wrong with assigning benefits. And not doing so doesn’t mean the hospital won’t give you care. They are required to provide emergent care. But, later, if you’re out of work because of accident related injuries, you might need that money to help make ends meet until you get back to work.