Car accident pain doctors in San Francisco, CA

How accident medical bills are paid in California

California is an at-fault (tort) state: the at-fault driver's liability insurance pays injury costs, usually at settlement. Until then, care is paid by your health insurance, your own med-pay coverage, or a medical lien. Tell the pain clinic you were in an accident and how you plan to pay.

Symptoms that show up days after a crash

• Neck pain and stiffness, headaches at the base of the skull (whiplash) often start 24 to 72 hours later.
• Low back pain that spreads into a leg, numbness or tingling can mean an irritated nerve and should be checked.
• Go to an emergency room right away for severe headache, weakness, confusion or loss of bladder control.
• Keep every visit, prescription and missed workday in one folder; your insurer and attorney will ask for them.

Choosing a pain doctor in San Francisco

• Check the license with the Medical Board of California. Physicians can also be looked up on DocInfo.org.
• Ask whether the doctor is board certified in pain medicine (through anesthesiology, PM&R or neurology).
• Ask which procedures are done in the office and which at a surgery center, and who reads your imaging.
• Bring a list of medicines, prior imaging (MRI, X-ray) and the dates your pain started or changed.
• In California, prescribers check the CURES database before prescribing controlled pain medicines, so tell the doctor about every prescription you take.