Understanding Hospital Liens in Kansas & Missouri

Certain medical providers are permitted under state law to assert liens on amounts paid on personal injury claims.  A lien is a legal claim for reimbursement. If you received hospital lien on your personal injury claim, that lien is a claim for reimbursement of medical bills from your personal injury settlement.  The medical bills asserted in a lien should only be those incurred in connection with the treatment of an injury you sustained as a result of the accident.

Subrogation is the process of seeking reimbursement for the lien amounts.  It is important to note that, regardless of whether there is a lien or not, your medical providers may still seek to enforce and collect of any debts you owe them after a lawsuit is settled.  However, a lien provides certain legal rights and a priority in payment to medical providers because the law governing liens require them to be satisfied when your injury claim is settled.

Medical hospital lien in Kansas and Missouri personal injury

Hospital liens are only legally enforceable if they comply with applicable state law.  The Kansas hospital lien statute details the Kansas requirements (see K.S.A. § 65-406) for hospital liens in Kansas. The Missouri medical lien statute details the Missouri lien requirements for medical providers in Missouri (see Mo. Rev. Stat. 430.225 et. seq.)  These requirements are briefly summarized below.

Kansas Hospital Lien Statute

In Kansas, only hospitals or health clinics can assert a lien on a personal injury claim.  Kansas law sets out a specific procedure and conditions that hospitals and clinics must follow before the lien is enforceable.  For example, Kansas law requires the eligible lien-holder to send notice of the lien.  The notice must include the amount of all of the lien, the name of the injured person, the date of the accident and the name and location of the hospital.  Kansas law requires this notice to be filed in Kansas district court where the hospital or clinic is located and sent to the injured person by certified mail.  

Missouri Medical Provider Lien Statute

In Missouri, a lien on a personal injury claim can be asserted by a hospital or clinic as well as a licensed physician or surgeon, chiropractor, podiatrist, physical therapist, dentist or optometrist.  Missouri law also requires an eligible lien-holder to provide written notice of a lien. The notice must include the name of the injured, date of the incident, and names of those alleged to be responsible for the accident. This notice must be sent by certified mail to all parties responsible for reimbursement, which may include insurance companies, the injured person, or the person who caused the accident.

Other Liens: Medicare, Medicaid & ERISA

In addition to medical provider liens, there are other types of liens that can affect your recovery and may apply to your case.  Such liens include those asserted by Medicare, Medicaid, a federal law called ERISA (certain employer-sponsored health insurance plans), and others.  Liens can become quite complicated, and an experienced personal injury attorney can often negotiate and even reduce the lien amounts.  The failure to pay these liens can result in penalties and other adverse legal consequences.  For this reason, it's best to acknowledge and address these issues early on in a personal injury case.

Call Our Personal Injury Lawyer in Kansas City, MO

Crash Course Accident Guidebook for personal injury claims in Missouri and KansasIf you have a personal injury claim that involves a lien, it would be a good idea for you to get sound legal advice on how to proceed.  You can contact our personal injury law firm in Kansas City by calling (816) 203-0143 or by filling out a form below. Contacting us is free and confidential, and there is no obligation to hire our firm.  We would be happy to try to assist you.

If you still have questions about your injury claim in Missouri or Kansas, download a free PDF copy of my bookCrash Course: An Insider's Guide to Accident Law in Missouri & Kansas, which is packed with information to help maximize your injury claim including the 9 mistakes to avoid.  Whatever you choose to do, don't wait--take action today to protect your legal rights.

 

Kevin J. McManus
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Kevin McManus is an accident injury and disability lawyer in Kansas City, MO, and Overland Park, KS