What are Medical Liens in Arizona?
If you find yourself in dealing with the aftermath of hospitalization, you might be wondering what are medial liens? Like most states, Arizona allows healthcare providers to impose medical liens on injury claims if victims cannot pay for their treatment. When a healthcare provider treats the injuries of an accident victim and has not been compensated in full for the treatment rendered to the patient, a medical lien is used to recover payment for the treatment upon settlement. Normally, these are only used in cases when a patient lacks a comprehensive health insurance plan and is unable to pay for treatment.
Federal law compels hospitals to provide emergency room care to all who seek it without finding out whether they can pay. This law makes treatment of all emergency room patients a prerequisite to receiving Medicare and Medicaid funding, an essential source of revenue in hospitals.
The injury attorneys at Phoenix Accident and Injury Law Firm near you have significant experience in helping clients who have filed claims that have used a medical lien. Our offices are conveniently located in nearby Chandler, Peoria, and North Phoenix, and we can meet in person or over the phone or video call.
If you are unsure whether or not you can afford an attorney, no worries! We only get paid when you settle. Check out our Attorney Fees Calculator to find out more.
Qualifying for Medical Liens in Arizona
Medical liens in Arizona are somewhat unique in that they apply to a broad range of healthcare providers. Hospitals, clinics, ambulance services, private practices, and state and local governmental entities, if licensed, may all pursue a medical lien. Essentially, any entity that operates a medical facility provides healthcare, or operates ambulances may be entitled to a lien under this provision.
It is important to note that the law does not allow medical providers to go after their patients if they cannot pay. They can only recover what is owed by the treated patient upon the final settlement of the accident claim.
Scope of the Medical Liens in Arizona
This specific class of liens applies only to accident claims brought by the person who was injured and treated. As such, wrongful death suits are excluded.
In cases where the other driver is underinsured and uninsured, and/or the victim has health insurance, a medical lien cannot be used. Hence, a patient’s recovery in a suit against his own insurer would not be subject to a lien.
Amount of the Medical Liens in Arizona
The only guarantee regarding the amount of the medical liens in Arizona is that it may not exceed the total payout of the patient’s settlement claim. This applies regardless of the method of recovery, be it a judgment, verdict, or settlement. The lien amount is further limited to the amount of the healthcare provider’s “customary charges.” This means the healthcare provider is not entitled to its full billing charges if it often accepts reduced payments from healthcare insurance companies. In other words, the medical lien amount would be roughly equivalent to the portion (usually 20–40%) health insurance covers.
The amount of the lien may also limited by the common fund doctrine. This means a healthcare provider’s owed balance is reduced by a prorated share of the cost of securing the recovery from the patient.
As of today, Courts are undecided as to how comparative fault affects medical liens in Arizona. Comparative fault is the legal concept of apportioning the responsibility for an accident and subsequent injuries by percentage to involved parties, including the injured patient. However, public policy of encouraging settlement of dispute as well as notions of equity most likely weighs in favor of proportionally reducing such liens.
Perfection Requirement for Medical Liens
To be enforced, a lien must be verified and contain specific information:
- The date upon which the services were rendered.
- The amount claimed owed by the injured party.
- An indication that the treatment is ongoing, if necessary.
Perfection requirements may also vary based on the type of healthcare provider asserting the lien and what county the lien is being recorded in.
Healthcare providers are required to record a lien within 30 days of any service or treatment related to the injuries for which the patient seeks redress. Such liens are to be recorded in the office of the recorder in the county where the healthcare provider is located. Hospitals, however, have slightly more leeway, instead of having 30 days from the date when the patient was released from their care.
Enforcing Healthcare Liens
The most important aspect of enforcing a medical lien is that it’s only enforceable against the party that is liable for the damages. In other words, any legal action cannot be brought against you, the patient, for the amount on the lien. Your credit score would not be affected either.
The statute of limitations on enforcing a lien is two years from the date of entry of judgment or settlement of the dependent case.
As stated previously, the amount may not exceed the total compensation paid to the victim.
Arizona differs from other states in that it gives priority to hospital creditors over other medical liens. Hospitals with liens will thus take in full payments before “inferior” liens receive any payment.
A Note on Balance Billing
Balance billing is an attempt by healthcare providers to seek additional payment through a medical liens in Arizona where a partial payment has already been received via another source.
Federal law forbids balance billing where the payment comes from Medicare or Medicaid, which are de-facto payments in full. This federal law preempts state law whenever state law permits medical service providers to balance the bill of customary charges.
Contact Us for More Information About Medical Liens in Arizona
In most cases, because you have health insurance as required by current laws, medical liens in Arizona usually do not enter the picture.
But if you do not have insurance, have too little insurance, or your health insurer refuses to cover your treatment even when medically necessary, you can pursue a medical lien so that your medical provider can get paid once your claim gets settled.
Contact us at Phoenix Accident and Injury Law Firm in your area for more information about medial liens in Arizona and how they work.
