Medical Payments Coverage (MedPay)

To file a Med Pay claim, start by notifying your car insurance company of the accident and giving your health care provider the details of your policy. Many hospitals and doctors will bill auto insurance policies directly, and even if they don't, you will be reimbursed by your insurer.

If you have health insurance, you can use it to immediately cover your bills while you wait for your Med Pay claim to be approved. In some cases, your car insurance company will work directly with your health insurance to coordinate payment, meaning you won't have to be heavily involved in the settlement process.

How to File a Med Pay Claim

1. Contact your insurer as soon as possible after the accident.
2. Give the health care provider information about your Med Pay policy, as well as any health insurance you have.
3. Ask the health care provider if they will bill you or the insurance company if you're in non-emergency care.
4. Document all of your medical expenses to send to your car insurance company if the health care provider is billing you directly.
5. Consider hiring a personal injury lawyer to assist you in dealing with insurers and health care providers.

To learn more, check out WalletHub's guides to Med Pay and filing a car insurance claim.

The difference between medical payments coverage (MedPay) and PIP (personal injury protection) is that PIP covers both medical bills and non-medical expenses after an accident, like loss of income and childcare. By comparison, MedPay insurance only applies to direct medical costs and funeral expenses. Both types of insurance cover the policyholder and their passengers after any car accident, regardless of fault.

Medical Payments vs. PIP Insurance Coverage

Your ability to choose between PIP and MedPay depends mostly on your state. For example, just over half the states offer MedPay only, while other states allow you to purchase both types of coverage.

In states that offer both PIP and MedPay, you should consider purchasing them together. Even though they offer similar coverage, MedPay can cover deductibles, copayments, and coinsurance that come with PIP, so the two can complement each other.

To learn more, check out WalletHub's guides to medical payments coverage and personal injury protection.

In auto insurance, the difference between medical payments and bodily injury coverage is that medical payments (MedPay) insurance covers the policyholder, while bodily injury coverage applies to a third-party. Liability insurance only ever pays for damage caused to others, but MedPay applies regardless of fault. In addition, bodily injury coverage is required in almost every state, while medical payments insurance is only required in Maine and New Hampshire.

Medical Payments vs. Bodily Injury Auto Insurance Coverage

The bottom line is that bodily injury liability and medical payments auto insurance coverage pay for similar things but in different situations. You can only file a bodily injury claim with an at-fault driver's liability insurance. But if you cause the accident yourself, you need to file a claim with your own medical payments insurance, or with your personal injury protection (PIP) coverage if you don't have MedPay.

Furthermore, medical payments insurance is often used as supplementary coverage to a health insurance plan, since MedPay can help you avoid expensive deductibles, copays, and coinsurance costs. MedPay can also be used if the policyholder is walking or biking instead of driving when a collision occurs.

You need $1,000 or $2,000 in medical payments (MedPay) coverage in the two states that require it: Maine and New Hampshire. If MedPay is optional in your state, the exact amount of MedPay that you need depends on a few factors, including what other types of insurance you have and how robust your emergency fund is. Even if you have overlapping coverage, like personal injury protection (PIP) or health insurance, MedPay is generally a good investment because it is inexpensive and complements other types of insurance.  

How Much MedPay You Need by State

• New Hampshire: $1,000+ for drivers who choose to purchase coverage
• Maine: $2,000+
• Other States: optional

Medical payments coverage pays for your medical expenses after an accident regardless of who was at fault, so it usually overlaps with PIP and standard health insurance. But MedPay can also cover deductibles, copayments, and coinsurance expenses that come with other types of coverage, so it can help you avoid additional costs if you're severely injured in an accident.

What to Consider Before Purchasing Medical Payments Coverage

When deciding how much MedPay you want to purchase, you should consider what types of coverage you already have and their associated costs. For example, if you have a high deductible health insurance policy, MedPay can help you reduce your out-of-pocket medical expenses after an accident. And if you live in a state that requires PIP, MedPay can be used as a backup in case your policy limits are exhausted by severe injuries.

In addition to existing coverage (and state laws for those in Maine and New Hampshire), you should consider your financial situation when deciding whether or not to purchase MedPay. If you have a lot saved up for a rainy day, for instance, then it's probably fine to skip the additional coverage. But considering that MedPay often costs less than $10 per month, the added peace of mind is usually worth the minor investment.   

To learn more, check out WalletHub's guide to medical payments coverage.

Yes, car insurance covers medical bills after an accident. Bodily injury liability insurance covers other people's medical bills after a crash caused by the policyholder, while personal injury protection (PIP) and medical payments insurance (MedPay) cover the policyholder's medical bills regardless of who was at fault. PIP and MedPay also apply to the policyholder's passengers and to named drivers who are hit by a car while walking or biking.

When Different Types of Car Insurance Cover Medical Bills

• Your PIP or MedPay insurance will cover your medical expenses if you are injured in an accident, no matter who was responsible.

• If another driver was at fault, their bodily injury liability coverage will pay for your medical bills.

• Uninsured/underinsured motorist insurance applies if the at-fault driver does not have insurance or does not have high enough liability limits to cover your expenses.

If you do not have coverage like PIP or MedPay, you can use your health insurance or pay out of pocket. For more information, check out WalletHub's guide to the different types of car insurance.

Yes, car insurance covers injuries resulting from a car accident. Personal injury protection (PIP) and MedPay cover injuries if the policyholder was at fault, and if another driver was at fault, that driver's bodily injury liability coverage will apply up to their policy limits.

If you were at fault and do not have PIP or MedPay, you will likely need to pay out of pocket or rely on health insurance.

On the other hand, if the other driver was at fault but is uninsured or does not have enough liability insurance to cover your expenses, you can file a claim through uninsured motorist bodily injury insurance (UMBI), if you have that coverage.

No, you don't need medical payments coverage if you have health insurance, unless you live in Maine or New Hampshire. Medical payments (MedPay) insurance can still be a good investment even if you have health insurance, though, because it covers out-of-pocket healthcare costs like deductibles, copays, and coinsurance.

MedPay is a type of car insurance that covers the policyholder's medical expenses after an accident, regardless of who was at fault. MedPay also applies to passengers in a covered vehicle. Given that it usually costs less than $10 per month, MedPay is often worth it for drivers without health insurance, as well as for drivers whose health insurance requires high out-of-pocket expenses.

For more information, check out WalletHub's complete guide to MedPay insurance.

Medical payments per person means the amount that an insurance company will pay for medical expenses for each person involved in a car accident. Medical payments (MedPay) coverage limits apply per person, per accident, meaning that each person's medical bills will be covered up to the expressed limit. Specifically, MedPay pays for medical expenses for the policyholder and their passengers. 

For example, say you have a $2,000 medical payments insurance policy and get into an accident while driving two passengers. In that case, your policy would cover medical bills for you and both of your passengers up to $2,000 each, which would total up to $6,000.

To learn more, check out WalletHub's guide to medical payments coverage.

Excess medical payments coverage is a type of car insurance that pays for certain medical expenses resulting from a car accident. This coverage is referred to as “excess” because it only applies to bills that are not covered by the policyholder's health insurance, such as their health plan deductible and copay.

On the other hand, non-excess medical payments coverage pays any medical expenses after a crash, even if they could also be covered by a driver's health insurance. That type of medical payments coverage, or MedPay, is required in New Hampshire and Maine, and it's available in many other states. However, there are no states that specifically require excess MedPay. So if you're unsure whether your policy includes excess or non-excess MedPay, it's best to ask your insurance company directly.

For more information, check out WalletHub's guide to MedPay insurance.

Medical payments insurance (MedPay) covers medical bills for the policyholder and their passengers after a car accident, regardless of who was responsible for the crash. For example, MedPay covers hospital and ambulance expenses, nursing costs, funeral expenses, and the deductibles or copays of other types of insurance. It's also worth noting that MedPay applies to named drivers even if they were passengers, pedestrians, or cyclists when the car accident occurred. MedPay does not cover indirect expenses resulting from injuries, like lost wages or childcare.

What Medical Payments Insurance Covers 

• Medical expenses after a car crash for any driver named on the policy
• Medical bills for passengers in a covered vehicle
• Funeral costs
• Deductibles, coinsurance, and copays of other insurance policies

MedPay is only required in Maine and New Hampshire (if drivers choose to buy car insurance). However, it can still be a smart investment for drivers even if it's not mandatory, since it's generally inexpensive. For example, MedPay might be worth it if your health insurance plan requires high out-of-pocket costs or if you don't have health insurance.

For more information, check out WalletHub's complete guide to MedPay.