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Medical
Payments coverage is a part of your auto insurance policy that covers
medical bills due to injuries caused by a motor vehicle accident.
This part of a auto insurance policy is separate from the
Bodily Injury, Uninsured/Under-Insured Motorist portions of a policy.
Medical
payments insurance provides for the immediate treatment of injuries caused by a car
accident.
You, your family members and other passengers in your car are covered, regardless of who
is at fault for the accident up to the Limit stated in the policy.
IMPORTANT
Every auto Insurance policy has policy limits.
The Bodily Injury and Uninsured/Under-Insured Motorist portions have
two limits each (example: 15,000 / 30,000). The first is
the maximum amount of money an insurance carrier will pay to one person,
the second is the maximum amount of money the policy will pay per
accident.
So in the case of a 15,000/30,000 policy, two people could get
$15,000 worth of medical bills and pain and suffering.
However, when there are more than two people being paid, that second
number is divided evenly between all the parties involved. This is where
Medical Payments coverage comes in handy because it pays your medical
bills before the settlement is made. So any bills already paid will not
be deducted from the amount that could be paying for your pain and
suffering.
Most states that require personalize injury protection
are "no fault" states, but Maryland, Delaware, and Oregon also do. You can find
out your state's auto insurance laws and minimums here.
The best part of the Medical Payments coverage is that
it covers you and everyone else in your vehicle regardless of who is at
fault for the accident. In other words, even if you caused the accident,
your medical bills will be taken care of by your auto policy.
MEDICAL PAYMENTS VS. EXCESS MEDICAL PAYMENTS
There are two main types of Medical Payments
coverage offered by most auto insurance companies.
The first is straight Medical Payment coverage.
The second is Excess Medical Payment coverage.
The difference is that Excess only pays what your personal medical
insurance does not.
Excess Medical Payments is something to consider
getting if you have a good health insurance plan.
Anything not covered by your health insurance would be covered under
this policy in the case of an auto collision, and it is usually cheaper
than straight Medical Payments Coverage.
It may cover your accident bills if you do not have medical insurance or
if you lose your medical insurance, but the auto insurance company may
require proof that you do not have other coverage before they pay your
bills.
They may also require you to provide proof that you have other coverage
before they will give you access to purchasing an Excess Medical
Payments policy.
Straight Medical Payments policy will allow any
medical bills derived from the accident to be paid up to the policy
limits. It is usually a little more expensive than an Excess Medical
Payments policy but will cover you whether you have medical insurance or
not.
FINDING THE BEST MEDICAL PAYMENTS COVERAGE
Medical Payments coverage is only required in some
states.
If you or someone who will be riding with you regularly do not have
health insurance, you should get Medical Payments coverage regardless of
what state you live in.
If you have medical insurance, call your insurance carrier and ask them
what they cover in case of an auto accident.
Some medical insurance carriers require reimbursement if you receive
money from a settlement, while others will cover everything.
Take this information into consideration when shopping
for an auto insurance policy.
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