If you've been in an accident, you may find it challenging to find affordable health insurance. This is because your risk factor has increased in the eyes of the insurance companies. Take the following steps to make sure your accident doesn't turn into a "health insurance accident," leaving you without insurance at all.

Review Your Accident

If you've just had an accident and are still in the throes of the situation, make sure you follow accident reporting procedures perfectly. File a police report and claim no fault when reporting to the auto insurance company. Call your auto insurance company and ask for a PIP (Personal Injury Protection) case to be filed so your auto insurance will cover part of your health care costs. Ask both your insurance and the driver-at-fault's insurance company if they have "med-pay" coverage, and try to file a claim under this as well. See a doctor immediately to assess injuries, and ask for an "independent medical examination," which is an examination performed by an insurance-approved doctor. Consider filing a suit to ensure the responsible party pays for your health care costs. Use your personal health insurance to fill the gaps, but seek reimbursement from the other insurance companies after.

Check Your CLUE Report

After the accident and medical immediate needs have been satisfied, order a copy of your CLUE (Comprehensive Loss Underwriting Exchange) report and look over the claims recorded in your file. You can get a copy of this report from a credit bureau such as Equifax. Look for claims that are not yours (on occasion, someone else with your name may end up with a claim filed in your report) and for claims that seem excessive. Dispute any inappropriate claims. Cleaning up your CLUE report will help you qualify for more affordable health insurance rates.

Meet With an Insurance Advisor

An independent insurance advisor will have access to health insurance plans beyond the plans your employer offers. Looking for health insurance after an accident can be challenging, but the advisor will know what plans are more lenient and what plans are stricter when evaluating risk.

Consider Purchasing Accident Health Insurance

Another option that can be quite affordable is accident health insurance. This is a low-cost type of insurance that covers you for a short period of time, usually 24 hours, surrounding an accident. You will have to pay for everyday medical expenses out of pocket or through a broad health insurance policy, but this will cover you for an actual accident.

Your claims related to your health insurance accident may increase your health insurance rates, but with a little legwork, you should be able to find affordable health insurance.