"Who paid your medical bills?" That is the adjuster question that matters, because the answer decides who gets paid out of your settlement before you do. The smarter move is usually do not rush to settle until you know whether Medicare, Maryland Medicaid, the VA, or your health insurer will demand reimbursement. If you sign a release too early after an Annapolis crash - maybe a head-on on Route 50 or a pothole wreck during spring thaw season - you can end up holding a settlement check that looks decent on paper but shrinks fast after paybacks, bills, and fees.

Here is the practical breakdown.

If Medicare paid anything tied to the crash, Medicare usually gets first crack at reimbursement. The claim gets handled through Medicare's recovery process, and the amount can often be checked and disputed before final payment. Settling first and "figuring it out later" is how people get blindsided.

If Maryland Medicaid paid, the state can also seek recovery from the injury settlement. That means part of the money may not be yours to keep, even if the insurer acts like the offer is all yours.

If you got treatment through the VA, that is a separate federal system from your civilian injury claim. The VA may assert a right to recover for care it provided for the crash. Veterans often get tripped up because the VA, Medicare, and the liability insurer are all speaking different languages.

Private health insurance is more mixed. Some plans have reimbursement rights, some do not, and the wording matters.

What to actually do:

• Ask for a written lien/payback check before signing any release.
• Identify every payer: Medicare, Maryland Medicaid, VA, Tricare, private insurance, hospital, ER, ambulance.
• Make the adjuster put the offer in writing and compare it to the net amount, not the gross.
• If liability is shaky - like a road-defect crash reported to Maryland State Police on a state highway - remember you generally have 3 years to sue in Maryland, so you usually do not need to grab the first offer.