Does NJ Workers Compensation Cover Ambulance Costs?
An ambulance in New Jersey usually costs around $600 plus $10 per mile, which means no ambulance bill is cheap. Plenty of people are afraid of high hospital and medical costs.
Yet if you were injured on the job in New Jersey such that you require an ambulance, you do not have to worry. An ambulance is a medical expense, and ambulances are part of the treatment costs. Of course, most employers try to discourage you from calling an ambulance and want you to go to your own doctor instead, but if you need one you should be able to get one without fear.
New Jersey law allows them to dictate what doctor you can see, but they can’t keep you from going to the ER fi that is where you need to go. Of course, unless you are unconscious you are the one making the call in many cases, but it is ultimately your call to make.
Note that you will probably see a bill before the workers compensation company does. When that happens, you just provide the ambulance company with your workers compensation claim number, as well as the name and number of the adjuster handling your case. You then send the bill on to the adjuster.
Once you have done this, the medical provider may not contact you about the bill again.
Keep in mind that because the employer usually wants you to go to your own doctor the adjuster may try to claim the ambulance ride wasn’t really necessary. That’s where having a good workers compensation lawyer can come in handy. In fact, if you have a workers compensation lawyer you can refer the entire matter to your attorney without having to worry about it at all. Both parties will have to contact your lawyer, instead of bothering you.
For many, life-saving treatment begins in the ambulance. If there’s even a slight chance that your injury could be life-threatening, then call the ambulance and let your attorney and the insurer fight about the bill later. Your life matters, and you shouldn’t let fear keep you from the treatment you need.
Workers compensation covers emergency room visits as well. If you get bills from that visit you can handle those bills exactly as you handled the ambulance claim. Be sure to keep the discharge paperwork that you receive, as it will offer a great deal of future evidence about the severity of your injuries, the treatment you required and received, and your initial diagnosis.
See also:
When to See Your Own Doctor in a Workers Compensation Case
