The Importance of Medical Payments Coverage on Your Auto Insurance
Have you ever considered how quickly medical expenses from car accidents can add up? For example, a standard ambulance ride can cost up to several thousand dollars depending on the distance traveled and services required. If you have severe injuries and need to be airlifted, the cost can be even more substantial. Combine your medical expenses with the cost of repairing your vehicle and it can become overwhelming. What if you had to cover those medical costs without the help of insurance?
Even with healthcare coverage, the cost of your injuries from a car accident might not be fully covered. Ensuring you have sufficient medical payments coverage on your auto insurance can provide crucial financial protection.
What is medical payments coverage?
Medical payments coverage is an optional auto coverage that can help pay for your medical expenses after a car accident. It provides reasonable payment for you and your passengers when an accident happens in a covered vehicle. It doesn’t matter if the accident was your fault or another driver’s fault—medical payments coverage will pay up to your selected policy limits.
What does it cover?
Medical payments coverage helps with the costs of ambulance services, overnight hospital stays, emergency room visits, and follow-up care. It may help cover copays and deductibles that your health insurance can’t cover. In the event of a fatal accident, it may help with funeral expenses. Medical payments provides coverage for the policyholder (you) if you’re driving, riding in someone else’s car, or walking. It also covers passengers in your car at the time of an accident.
What’s not covered?
Medical payments coverage does not cover expenses that are greater than your coverage amount. It doesn’t cover medical expenses for passengers in other vehicles, damage to other vehicles, or property damage. Expenses associated with losing the use of a body part or becoming blind, deaf, or nonverbal aren’t included in medical payments coverage. There are other auto coverages that pay for injuries to others and property damage.
How is medical payments coverage different from health insurance?
Medical payments coverage is through your auto insurance, and it only covers medical expenses that were caused from a car accident, regardless of who caused the accident. Health insurance coverage is designed to include regular doctor visits, prescription medications, surgical procedures, medical equipment, and urgent care. After a car accident, your medical payments coverage will typically be the first to pay out before your healthcare coverage comes into the picture. Medical payments coverage can act as a supplemental coverage on top of your health insurance.
How is medical payments coverage different from liability insurance coverage?
The main difference in medical payments coverage compared to other auto liability coverages is that medical payments coverage provides protection for only you and your passengers—not the other vehicle. Liability coverages like bodily injury and property damage help pay for other people if you caused the accident. Medical payments coverage is an optional coverage you can add on to your existing auto liability insurance coverage for extra financial protection.
Situations when medical payments coverage would be beneficial
Medical payments coverage can be your financial support. In the following scenarios, medical payments coverage may prevent out of pocket expenses.
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Scenario #1: you get into an accident with an uninsured driver
If you’re injured in a car accident with an underinsured or uninsured driver, they won’t be able to cover your injuries. Even if the accident wasn’t your fault, medical payments coverage can help pay for your medical expenses up to your selected limits. If you don’t have medical payments coverage on your auto insurance, you might be left to foot your hospital bills.
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Scenario #2: an accident that results in major medical costs
If car accident injuries require immediate medical attention, medical payments coverage would come in handy. Medical payments coverage can help cover the cost of emergency room visits after an accident, diagnostic tests, and long-term treatments.
Scenario #3: a passenger in your vehicle gets injured
Medical payments coverage can help pay for injuries of anyone in the covered vehicle at the time of an accident. If a passenger is injured as the result of a car accident, your medical payments coverage could help pay for their medical treatment.
Scenario #4: you’re a pedestrian struck by a vehicle
If you’re walking as a pedestrian and get hit by a vehicle, medical payments coverage can help pay for ambulance fees, hospital stays, and doctor visits. If you, your spouse, or a family member suffer injuries from being hit by a vehicle, your medical payments coverage may assist in paying for the injuries.
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Scenario #5: your health insurance doesn't cover everything
If your healthcare coverage doesn’t cover all of your expenses following an accident, medical payments coverage may be able to fill in the gaps. Treatments, chiropractic care, and copays can add up quickly, which is why having additional coverage can be a financial lifesaver.
Whether you have a teenager who just started driving or you’ve been on the road for years, having the right amount of insurance coverage can make a crucial difference. Medical payments coverage may help lessen the financial burden of hospital bills after an accident, allowing you to spend more time focusing on recovery.
With medical payments coverage on your auto insurance policy, you can leave worry in the rearview. For more information on medical payments coverage, contact your local Alfa® agent.
*This is not an insurance policy. It is intended only to provide a general description of Alfa Insurance® and/or its product lines and services. An actual policy contains the specific details of the deductibles, coverages, conditions and exclusions. Your Alfa® agent can explain the policy and benefits and answer any questions you may have before you buy.