Auto Medical Payments Coverage & Insurance

The right auto insurance can give you a sense of security when you put your dreams into drive, so when you turn the key and hit the highway, you know you’re being protected. See how medical payments insurance coverage can help protect you should the unexpected happen.

What Is Medical Payments Coverage?

Medical payments coverage (MedPay) helps cover medical expenses for injuries sustained in an auto accident — regardless of who is at fault. It generally covers you, your family members and your passengers occupying the vehicle at the time of the accident. You’re also protected in the event you’re hit while walking or biking.

How Does Medical Payments Coverage Work?

Medical payments coverage is an auto insurance coverage that offers medical protection in the event you, your relatives or your passengers are injured in an auto accident. Medical payments coverage generally includes:

• Funeral expenses resulting from an accident
• If you’re a passenger in a friend’s car and you’re injured in an accident
• If you’re struck by a car while you’re out for your evening walk or bike ride
• If passengers are hurt while you or a family member is driving

Keep in mind, even if you have a great health care plan, medical expense coverage protects your passengers if they’re injured — but your health insurance only protects you. If you play chauffeur and drive the neighborhood kids to school, or you carpool weekly with a co-worker, consider the financial risks you could face if in an auto accident.

Bodily Injury Liability vs. Medical Payments Coverage

When someone is injured in a car accident, ambulance bills and medical costs can escalate quickly. But which coverage applies and under what circumstances? One key difference between auto insurance medical payments vs. bodily injury liability coverage is who’s covered under each policy.

Medical payments coverage is an additional auto insurance coverage that offers medical protection in the event you or your passengers are injured in an auto accident. Coverage typically extends medical expense coverage to those in your vehicle affected by a covered event.

If you’ve caused a car accident, your bodily injury liability coverage is additional insurance that helps cover short- and long-term costs related to injuries others may have sustained in the accident. Some examples include:

• Medical expenses
• Pain and suffering compensation
• Lost wages
• Legal fees
• Funeral costs

Personal Injury Protection (PIP) vs. Medical Payments Coverage

When you or your passengers are injured, you’ll have coverage to help pay for medical expenses. What if you or another injured party can’t work while recovering from an accident? Some states mandate Personal injury protection coverage that helps reimburse you and your passengers for lost income and medical or childcare costs, no matter who is at fault.

There are a few key differences between personal injury protection and medical payments coverage:

• Personal injury protection helps to pay for lost wages; medical payments coverage does not
• Personal injury protection is more comprehensive and helps to protect in ways other than just medical expenses
• State laws vary on which form of coverage is required — be sure to check with your agent on applicable coverage where you live

Likewise, medical payments coverage assists in paying for medical bills regardless of who’s at fault as well, but that coverage won’t extend beyond medical expenses.

Curious About Other Coverages?

Chances are if you’re injured in an automobile accident, your vehicle was probably damaged, too. To really help you feel secure on the road, check out these other coverages that protect you, your vehicle and other drivers.

Collision insurance

Collision insurance helps pay to repair or replace your vehicle if you’re involved in an accident with another vehicle or if you hit an object, like a tree or pole.

Comprehensive coverage

Comprehensive coverage is usually paired with collision insurance and covers you if your vehicle is damaged by a storm, hail, falling objects, even theft and vandalism. Most lenders, whether you have a car loan or are leasing, will require you to have both collision and comprehensive coverage.

Bodily injury liability coverage

If you cause a crash and injure someone in another vehicle, you’ll be covered by the bodily injury liability coverage of your auto insurance policy, which will help pay for their medical bills and other damages they may be legally entitled to claim.

Property damage liability coverage

If you cause a crash and someone else’s car is damaged, you’ll be covered by the property damage liability coverage of your auto insurance policy, which will help pay to repair their vehicle (or other property damaged in the accident, like their luggage).

Uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage

These separate but similar coverages help you out in the event you’re involved in an accident with a driver who has no insurance or has some insurance — but not enough. Also, if you’re in a hit and run, these coverages have your back. So, if you don’t have uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage, you could be dealing with the big headache of having to pay out of pocket for any injuries you sustain.

Check with your American Family Insurance agent to see how customizing your car insurance policy with coverages like medical payments insurance can help you feel more secure and confident on the road.