Car Accidents
How Medical Payments Coverage (Med-Pay) Helps Car Accident Victims
Ah, car insurance. Hardly the stuff of dinner party conversations. Put simply, it is something we rarely think about until we need it.
However, if you have been involved in a serious car accident that resulted in injuries, you will quickly become acquainted with all of the ins and outs of your policy. In fact, it is not until an accident that many people truly learn what it is they have been paying for in the first place.
One of the most misunderstood portions of car insurance is medical payments coverage, also known as Med-Pay. In many ways, medical payments coverage acts as one of the most important pieces of an auto policy for injured people with hospital bills.
What is Medical Payments Coverage (Med-Pay)?
In Indiana, Med-Pay is supplemental coverage available to Hoosier drivers when they purchase their auto insurance policy. It is designed to cover immediate medical bills for you and/or any passengers in your vehicle following an accident.
If you have never been in an accident, you may assume the at-fault driver’s insurance company will immediately begin paying your medical bills. Unfortunately, this is not the case. The at-fault driver’s insurance will not pay out until the completion of your personal injury claim. This is one of the main reasons it is important to have Med-Pay under your policy.
Also, if you have health insurance, we advise you to first submit your bills to your Med-Pay carrier. It is likely your health insurance group will have the right to be reimbursed for your accident-related medical bills. By contrast, Med-Pay does not get reimbursed, thus leaving you with more of your final settlement amount.
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Free Case ReviewIt is important to understand that while this coverage is optional, we recommend that you never refuse or decline Med-Pay. If you are currently unsure if you have medical payments coverage, Boulton Law Group is happy to review your policy at no cost.
What Types of Bills Will Medical Payments (Med-Pay) Coverage Cover?
In short, Med-Pay will cover any bills associated with medical treatment related to your accident and injuries. Because there are several different groups often involved in an accident victim’s treatment, you may receive bills from a variety of providers, including:
- Ambulance services
- Emergency room
- Nursing services
- Radiology (X-rays)
- Primary care doctor
- Funeral services, etc.
There are dozens of potential providers that may be involved in your or a loved one’s care, and the bills will often appear shortly after the accident.
Additionally, Med-Pay can be used to pay for out-of-pocket expenses, such as health insurance deductibles and co-pays.
This optional, yet often overlooked coverage, serves as a great resource until you are able to make a recovery from the at-fault driver’s insurance company.
How Much Does Medical Payments Coverage (Med-Pay) Cost?
The cost of Med-Pay will depend on how much you elect to carry under your auto policy. However, it should be noted that Med-Pay premiums are surprisingly affordable!
Each auto insurance company will offer drivers various Med-Pay limit options. The most popular limits typically include $1,000, $2,000, $5,000, $10,000, or $25,000 worth of coverage. However, we have also seen Med-Pay limits of $500 and as high as $100,000.
The cost to add these various limits can run as low as $2/month for $1,000 worth of coverage and up to $35/month for $25,000 worth of coverage.
If you are unsure of your Med-Pay limits, we recommend that you review your policy. Often times, people are surprised to learn that they can double or triple their coverage for less than $5/month.
Again, Boulton Law Group is happy to review any Indiana driver’s insurance policy to help them determine their Med-Pay limits and what it would cost to increase or max out this important supplemental coverage.
Helping Injured Hoosiers for Over 20 Years
Attorney Matt Boulton has spent his entire professional life helping Indiana accident victims and their families. Whether it is answering legal questions at no cost, or serving as their attorney against the insurance company, attorney Boulton is committed to helping injured Hoosiers.
Many people have questions following an accident and injury, such as “How does medical payments coverage work?” If you are unsure about Med-Pay or any other details related to your accident, you can contact Matt for free, friendly legal advice.
Boulton Law Group offers all injured Hoosiers a Zero Fee Guarantee. This promise helps to ensure that everyone has access to experienced, award-winning legal representation that treats you like family. We believe this is important when you are tasked with negotiating against billion-dollar insurance companies.
To speak with attorney Boulton, call us at 317-350-2680. Or if you prefer to write to us, you may use our free and confidential contact form. Attorney Boulton personally reviews all web contacts received by our firm.
We look forward to hearing your story and learning how we can help you!
Author Matt Boulton
