Medical coverage is an optional type of auto insurance. Some drivers may decide that purchasing MedPay makes sense for them. This guide will help motorists choose whether or not to add medical payments to comprehensive coverage.
What is medical payments (MedPay) auto insurance coverage?
MedPay is an optional extra for auto insurance in most states. It is intended for payment of medical care after an accident. MedPay will pay specialized medical bills after a collision, regardless of who was at fault in the accident. Even if the policy holder is at fault for the accident, they can pay for care costs.
MedPay is similar to personal injury protection coverage (PIP) in some ways. Personal injury protection insurance also pays for medical expenses after an accident, regardless of who is at fault. PIP coverage is required in no-fault states, although medical bills coverage is usually optional. PIP also covers partial lost wages. MedPay does not pay for any missed income.
What does medical payments insurance cover?
Medical payments coverage pays eligible medical expenses after an accident. Coverage usually applies to the insured and family members driving the insured vehicle. Passengers in a car involved in a collision can also benefit from MedPay.
Some of the types of medical services that medical bills coverage may pay for include:
- A visit to the doctor, emergency room, or emergency room
- Inpatient treatment
- Nursing care
- Emergency care costs
- EMT fees
- Operations
- X-rays and diagnostic tests
- Dental procedures
- Funeral expenses
- Health insurance premiums and deductibles
It’s important to work with your medical billing adjuster to understand how your treatment costs will be paid.
What coverage does MedPay have?
Policyholders choose the MedPay coverage they want when they purchase their auto insurance policy. It is usually sold in increments of $1,000, $2,500, or $5,000.
Most insurers have relatively low limits for the maximum MedPay coverage a policyholder can receive. For example, with some insurers it may be possible to purchase coverage for no more than $10,000 or no more than $25,000, while others may have slightly higher or slightly lower limits.
Do you need medical bills if you have health insurance?
Medical bills coverage can sometimes help policyholders avoid out-of-pocket costs even if they have health insurance. MedPay can cover deductibles, coinsurance, and other eligible care costs that health insurance won’t cover.
What is the difference between medical bills and bodily injury liability coverage?
Medical bills coverage is very different from liability.
Liability insurance pays for losses caused by the insured to others. For example, if an insured driver causes an accident and injures a pedestrian, the insured driver’s bodily injury liability coverage pays for the pedestrian’s medical care and other out-of-pocket losses (eg, lost wages) resulting from the pedestrian’s injuries.
Liability insurance pays nothing for the insured’s injuries. A driver who wants medical bills covered by auto insurance needs medical bills coverage or personal injury coverage.
What is the difference between medical bills and personal injury protection?
Medical bills coverage is usually optional, with some states requiring personal injury coverage. PIP coverage is also broader than MedPay.
Personal injury protection can cover not only medical bills but also partial lost wages. MedPay does not offer any compensation for lost income. MedPay may also only provide care for a limited period of time, such as one year after the accident.
What is the coverage for medical bills?
Medical coverage is usually very affordable. The cost of adding this protection to an insurance policy is usually less than $25 per month. It can be as little as a few dollars. A MedPay policy with higher coverage will cost more than one with lower maximum payments.
How to get MedPay coverage
Drivers interested in purchasing MedPay coverage can easily do so by following the steps below.
Decide how much coverage you need
The first step is to consider the amount of car insurance you need to cover medical bills. Insureds may ask for $1,000, $2,500, $5,000 or more in MedPay coverage, depending on what they expect to be out-of-pocket costs if they are involved in an accident and are injured. Drivers can review their health insurance premiums and deductibles to help them decide.
Shop around and get quotes for auto insurance including MedPay
MedPay is an add-on to a car insurance policy. Drivers should shop around for coverage and include MedPay as an optional extra when getting quotes. It’s usually possible to shop for insurance and get a price estimate, including the MedPay surcharge, by providing basic information online.
Purchase coverage
After learning which insurer offers the most cost-effective policy, drivers can choose to add MedPay coverage to the required liability coverage and other coverages they choose to purchase, and get the policy that’s right for them.