When you approach an insurance agent or company for purchasing auto insurance policy, the insurance agent or the company explains all the coverage options, the compulsory and optional covers that you can get in your policy. Often the agent selects the types of coverage and their limits with respect to your policy. But it is important for you to ask your agent what coverage options suit your situation and determine the coverage and limits. In auto insurance policy, there is one form of coverage which is known as ‘medical payments coverage’. Many auto insurance companies suggest taking this coverage. So it is essential to understand auto insurance medical payment coverage is all about. It is more or less similar to personal injury protection coverage or bodily injury liability coverage. Medical payments coverage is an insurance cover which pays for medical expenses for you the driver as well as other persons travelling in the car who may suffer injuries in case there is an accident. It pays medical expenses for you and your injured passengers.
Medical payment coverage is more or less like medical insurance. There are many people who have health insurance also along with medical payment cover. In case you have health insurance plan along with medical payment cover, the bills are generally covered through medical payment cover first and if nay amount over and above that will be met by health insurance.
Benefits of taking medical payment coverage
This cover helps in paying medical expenses in case of injury. It provides expenses for hospitalization, dental treatment, prosthesis, X-rays and surgery. In case of death caused by the accident, it pays for funeral expenses also. There are policies which pay medical expenses only for the first year whereas some pay for three or five years.
All states in the United States do not have medical payment coverage. So it is necessary to check with your states insurance commissioner’s office or their website for full details. You can also check with your insurance agent if this coverage is mandatory. There are few states including Puerto Rico which recognize ‘no fault’ insurance cover. They have personal injury protection which covers medical bills.
Before buying medical payment insurance cover, it is better to review your health insurance cover. This will help in avoiding duplicate coverage. There are many insurance companies which insist that you pay the medical bills for your treatment initially and later on claim reimbursement by submitting receipts. So it is better to understand the concept of auto insurance medical payment coverage very clearly from your agent or insurance company before taking the policy. Go through your policy document to know what is covered and what is not and also to know the claims procedure.