The cost of medical care and health insurance in America is astronomical. Even though health reform measures have been passed, one of the great concerns is that health insurance rates will rise prior to all the reform taking place.

Only time will tell regarding that subject. However, a new study from the Insurance Research Council indicates that to help offset the low reimbursement to hospitals from public health insurance programs for auto accident injuries, automobile insurance companies are being targeted for the funds.

There is much crossover between auto insurance and medical coverage, though the laws dictating the minimum auto insurance coverage a person needs to carry vary from state to state. Depending on where you live, your auto insurance policy may offer some medical benefits to be used in case an auto accident causes personal injury resulting in a claim.

According to FAQ: What is the Best Medical Coverage with Auto Insurance?, “medical payments coverage will pay for the medical (and/or funeral) expenses for you or one of your passengers in case of an accident, or will also cover the insured if they are a passenger in another vehicle or if they are struck as a pedestrian.”

This bridge is usually a great tool for ensuring that car accident injury settlements can be prompt and swift. However, since the cost of medical care is on the rise, hospital costs are shifting, too. The IRC report estimates “Bodily Injury (BI) liability claims in 38 tort [liability based] and add-on states, cost-shifting in 2007 resulted in $1.2 billion in excess hospital charges.”

As a result, consumers who fall victim to auto personal injury need to take extra precautions to ensure medical expenses resulting from an auto accident are covered. Some important steps include:

■Report the accident immediately to the police and exchange all insurance and contact information.
■Regardless of how you immediately feel after the accident, let a paramedic check you and then go to the emergency room.
■From the second you go to the hospital, start documenting everything you can by saving receipts and getting photocopies of your medical reports.
■Report every ache and pain you may have experienced.
■Some injuries, like whiplash, may not surface immediately. If you experience any delayed pain due to the car accident, make sure the doctor you meet with documents the event that could have caused the pain.
■In case you or your passengers should be in too poor of condition to follow the above steps, inform your emergency contact of these procedures in advance.
Car accident injuries can range from mild to severe and may end up costing the victims thousands of dollars. By fully understanding how the insurance system works, you can prevent large medical bills from adding major insult to major injuries.