ForumsLegal and Insurance

I used to work in an urgent care facility as a medical assistant for 13 years. I have seen patients coming in for a cold to deep lacerations to heart attack.

When a patient comes into the office bleeding or having shortness of breathe, the receptionist would get a nurse or a doctor to evaluate right away. If it is severe, we would stablelize the patient then call 911.

At an urgent care facility, you pay a third less then the hospital.

Just an FYI.

Thanks James, you've answered my question.

To comment and wrap up:

1. I think it's not fair to self-employed that a health insurer would deny this if it happened on a job site. I told them when I took the policy that I am self-employed. What other insurance could I get?

2. I don't have employees; at one point I had to prove to a client's personnel department that I was not an employee, by procuring Workers Comp insurance as an employer. I did, but cancelled after a couple years: this insurance made no sense because I have no employees, and if anything happened to me, the workers comp wouldn't be available to me. It's stupid. But if I did take on employees, of course I'd get the Workers Comp insurance for them.

3. Thanks for clarifying the tax position of this: a business operation expense for me if I pay it out of pocket. But, this should really be covered by the client's GL insurance.

4. This is all sticky when you walk into an ER and get treated. They take your insurance card and away you go.

5. Yep, I felt there was no way I'd bring the client into it if I could help it. I'm glad to have the work and the relationship and the referrals. It's a small world in aviation.

Maybe this is an area that there should be clarification in the law, especially as there are more self-employed out there.... Any other comments or experiences out there?

Thanks to all-
Bob

Being Self Employed have some perks. Do you have an Accountant??
Do you have a separate checking account for the business and another one for you personally??
You state that this accident happened "on the job", so do you also want compensation
or salary for lost time at the hospital.
When it comes to doing my personal taxes, I deduct what I feel is "fair expenses"
and then wait until the I R S asks about that expense.
LUCKIEST

Here's something to keep in mind, at least for future reference. In most (but not all) states, even though you're a self-employed person, if you're injured while performing work for a client, your client is liable for the Workers Compensation liability of an uninsured subcontractor or independent contractor that they utilize--that is, you. In fact, when your client's Workers Comp insurer performs the annual premium audit of your client, they will probably notice his payments to you and charge premium to him for you, regardless of your not filing a claim. As I said, this is the case in many states, but not all, so you would need to check the rules in whatever state this happened in. But at least keep it in mind for future situations, if perhaps some more serious injury should happen. You might also want to consider obtaining your own Workers Compensation policy. In most states, sole proprietors and partners are not required to obtain their own Workers Compensation insurance, but can elect to obtain such coverage voluntarily. Many of your clients and potential clients might insist on this, as many larger companies are only too well aware that their insurance company will charge them premium for uninsured subcontractors and independent contractors, and so they require evidence of Workers Comp insurance from any contractors they utilize.