The Importance of Med Pay Coverage

Many people aren’t aware of a supplementary insurance coverage known as “medical expense coverage”, or Med Pay, and how this coverage can be a huge help to you and your loved ones following a serious car accident. Med Pay coverage is not required in every state, and sounds somewhat redundant to carrying health insurance coverage, so many people quickly dismiss this supplemental coverage.

Big mistake.

Med Pay coverage is one of the best bargains in the auto insurance industry and you owe it to yourself and your loved ones to get it. As Kansas City personal injury lawyers who have represented hundreds of auto accident victims, we have seen firsthand how Med Pay coverage can provide a much-needed level of financial assistance during a difficult time.

The limitations of most health insurance policies, combined with slow-moving insurance settlements, can result in outstanding medical expenses that need to be paid. This is where Med Pay steps in and helps.

In the simplest of terms, Med Pay kicks in and cover medical bills up to your coverage limit. Med Pay is distributed without determining fault in the accident and is accessible to you, your family and anyone else in the vehicle during an accident. The coverage moves with you whether you are riding with a friend, on a bus, as well as with your insured vehicle. The coverage usually carries no co-pay or deductible.

It can take several months for the other party’s insurance company to pay your medical bills. Although your health insurance might pay, high deductibles and co-pays are an expensive concern. With Med Pay, you get an immediate funding source to cover your medical bills, co-pays and deductibles. It also covers a variety of out-of-pocket costs that your health coverage doesn’t, including but not limited to dental, chiropractic, ambulance fees and more.

In the 12 ‘no-fault’ states, Med Pay can even pick up the co-pay on “personal injury protection,” or PIP, portion of your car insurance or 100 percent coverage after your PIP has been exhausted.

The pricing to add MedPay is most likely less than you might realize and the pros outweigh the cons of saving a couple bucks. Below is a mock scenario for clarification.

MedPay is helpful even for those with health insurance coverage and that much more important for drivers that don’t have any health coverage. But, keep in mind that it can’t be used as a stand-alone substitute, you must care auto liability coverage to get MedPay and you’d have to suffer an auto related injury in order to use it.

MedPay policy limits, unlike liability coverage, does not refer to the total available coverage but rather the amount available to each covered injured individual. Generally speaking, if you, your spouse and your kids are injured in a crash, each of you could collect the limit amount on your MedPay coverage. However, your insurer won’t pay the same bills under both your liability coverage and MedPay.

If you aren’t sure what coverage you have and what your state required laws are, contact your insurance agent. In some cases the cost of moving from $2,000 a month to $10,000 a month in MedPay can be just $10 per year.

If you, or anyone you know, have been involved in an accident and are in need of an accident injury attorney please call Northland Injury Law at (816)-400-4878 for a free consultation. We look forward to working for you!