Medical Payments Coverage

What does medical pay insurance cover?

Medical payments coverage (also called med-pay) covers the costs of medical care—such as surgery, dental work, hospitalization, X-rays, and ambulance services--administered to you and any of your passengers who have been injured in an accident, whether you slam your hand in a door or sustain more serious injuries. Unlike bodily injury liability coverage, it covers these expenses regardless of who is at fault. This type of coverage may also cover your medical care if you or members of your family are struck by a vehicle while bicycling or walking, as well as care related to injuries incurred by you or family members while riding in a vehicle owned by someone else. Medical payments coverage occasionally also includes payments for funeral expenses in the case of death. However, if someone else is found to be liable, the insurer may want to try to recoup the costs from that person. Medical payments do not reimburse you for lost wages if you are unable to work due to injuries.

Request a free medical coverage quote in your area >>

What can medical payments coverage do for me?

Medical payments coverage is useful for covering expenses that go beyond the limits of personal injury protection coverage. You should also consider purchasing medical payments coverage if you don’t have health insurance, your health benefits are not comprehensive, or you often have passengers (other than family members) without their own health insurance. It’s a wise idea to check with your health insurance provider before deciding to buy medical payments coverage as the benefits of may be duplicated by your health insurance policy. However, some insurers recommend buying this type of coverage as health care costs continue to rise dramatically. It can also make up for high health insurance deductibles.

 Some policies require you to carry a minimum amount of medical payments coverage. If you don’t have health insurance or frequently have passengers without their own health insurance, you may want to carry the maximum amount of this type of coverage, usually $25,000. If you only occasionally have passengers with no health insurance, you may want to carry a smaller amount.

*Auto Insurance Options is a free information resource that provides content on auto insurance products and policies for informational purposes only, but is not an agency or insurer. Products and policies may not be available in all states.