Posted in Wisconsin Workers Compensation Related News
Parents of children who have experienced accidents resulting in traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) are compelled to adapt to very challenging circumstances. The ways in which they care for their children may need to change significantly moving forward. While parents cannot undo an injury, they help their children as much as they can by getting them the best medical treatment available. Unfortunately, in addition to difficulties with caregiving that parents take on when attending to children affected by TBIs, they may face many years of staggering costs for a wide variety of intensive needs.
As an experienced brain injury lawyer can confirm, these costs are one of the reasons why parents of children who have sustained TBIs as a result of another’s negligence, recklessness, or intentional conduct should explore their rights fully in the wake of this trauma. In the event that parents are in a position to file an insurance claim and/or a personal injury claim, the financial burdens associated with caring for seriously injured children can be lessened to a significant extent.
Insurance Coverage
Parents who have an employer-sponsored health insurance plan, marketplace coverage, or other government-funded insurance covering their children’s medical care may contend with extremely high medical bills after a child sustains a traumatic brain injury. The Centers for Disease Control’s 2018 Report to Congress entitled “Management of Traumatic Brain Injury on Children” observes multiple issues relating to the high costs of both emergency and long-term inpatient care. The CDC also acknowledged the cost of care reflected considerable variation among medical care providers. This finding indicated that many parents had to pay far more than was reasonably necessary to provide life-saving and rehabilitative care.
Costly copays and deductibles as well as high out-of-pocket limits can put a significant burden on a family’s budget. It is, therefore, important to understand how to make the most out of one’s coverage and to dispute any claims that may have been devalued or rejected.
Compensation
If a family chooses to pursue a legal claim against the party responsible for their child’s injury, an attorney with experience in this area can help them recoup their expenses. These expenses may include the full value of the medical bills that a health insurance carrier has paid in-part.
Caring for a child with a brain injury will necessarily involve ongoing care needs that are not medical, such as special education and non-skilled home care. While many government-funded programs will cover a portion of these expenses, private insurers typically will not. However, seeking compensation via a personal injury suit may help parents to cover these care-related costs as well.
