Medical Payments Coverage

What is medical payments coverage?

Medical payments coverage is optional in some states and required in others. Medical payments, also known as med pay, helps pay medical bills resulting from injuries from an auto accident. This optional coverage (in most states) can be used regardless of fault for accident related medical treatment.

Let us help find the right coverage for you.

What does medical payments cover?

Medical payments coverage applies to you and your relatives that live in your home. It may also apply to your passengers. This coverage helps pay for medical bills, including funeral expenses as a result of an accident. Some examples of these medical bills could include:

• Doctor visits
• ER visits
• X-rays
• Chiropractic services

Medical payments can also provide coverage if you're injured:

• In an accident while in someone else's vehicle
• While being struck as a pedestrian

What isn't included under medical payments coverage?

Medical payments coverage doesn't include:

• Lost wages
• Medical treatment not related to the accident
• Replacement services (ex., housekeeping, yard work, childcare, etc.)

Medical payments coverage also does not pay for medical expenses for any parties in other vehicles involved in the accident.

Should you get medical payments coverage on your policy?

Although medical payments coverage is usually optional; it can be helpful to ask yourself a few questions.

• Do you have health insurance?
• If you do have health insurance, do you have a deductible?
• Are you able to pay an unexpected medical expense on your own?

Depending on your responses, you should decide what works best for you.

Medical payments coverage may also help cover your health plan's co-payments and amounts that exceed your health plan's allowances for medical treatment in some states.

How much medical payments coverage should you buy?

Each person is different. A good starting place is to think about what medical coverage you may already have. This can include things like health insurance. With that information, you have a better starting place to help choose how much coverage you may need.

In general, medical payments coverage can be bought in specific dollar amounts:

• $1,000
• $2,500
• $5,000

The amount of coverage you pick is the maximum amount available to each person covered.

Let's say you're driving 2 friends to lunch. You have $1,000 in medical payments coverage. A vehicle runs a red light and hits your vehicle. You and your passengers are injured and need to go to the emergency room. You and each of your passengers may have up to $1,000 to help pay for medical bills related to the accident.

What is the difference between medical payments and personal injury protection (PIP)?

These coverages may vary by state. Some states offer PIP coverage which is similar to med pay. For more information about your state, you can check out our state information pages.