Use Medicare now, and do not wait for the other driver's insurer to pay your medical bills.

The mistake that costs people the most money is believing the liability insurer will handle treatment bills as they come in. In Rhode Island, that is usually wrong. After a crash near a Newport lane shift, flagger zone, or merge problem like the tight I-195 East Providence ramps, the at-fault insurer typically pays later, in one settlement, not doctor by doctor while you heal.

If you delay treatment or leave bills sitting, you can end up with collections, damaged credit, and care gaps you cannot afford on Social Security.

Use Medicare for covered treatment right away. If you also have Medigap or a Medicare Advantage plan, use that too. If your own auto policy has Medical Payments coverage (MedPay), that can also help with out-of-pocket costs regardless of fault.

A few Rhode Island realities matter:

• Rhode Island is an at-fault car insurance state, not no-fault.
• The usual deadline to file a personal injury lawsuit is 3 years from the crash.
• If you later recover money from a settlement, Medicare may seek reimbursement for what it conditionally paid.

That reimbursement issue scares people into not using Medicare. That is another expensive myth. The smarter move is to get treatment paid now, then deal with the reimbursement numbers during the claim. Waiting for the liability carrier does not protect you; it usually just shifts the financial pressure onto you.

Also, keep every Explanation of Benefits, bill, prescription receipt, and mileage record for appointments. In a Newport crash claim, those records help show what the injury truly cost you, especially if the insurer tries to minimize soft-tissue injuries or says your pain was just age-related.