What is MedPay?
Medical payment coverage, also referred to as “MedPay”, is additional coverage you can add to your Virginia automobile insurance policy that provides payment for medical expenses if you are injured in an accident. The best part of MedPay coverage is that you can make a claim even if you were fault for the accident. Yes, that is correct, even if you were at fault for the accident.
Passengers of your vehicle who are injured can also make a MedPay claim against your policy.
How do I know if I have MedPay coverage?
Check the declarations page of your automobile insurance policy. The declarations page is almost always found at the beginning of your policy (usually one of the first few pages), and it lists out the types of coverage and amounts. If you are unable to locate your declarations page, simply call your insurance company or your agent.
What does MedPay Cover?
Always check your policy or speak to your insurance company about what your policy covers, but most policies provide coverage for the following:
- Doctor visits
- Hospital visits
- Ambulance and EMT fees
- Health insurance deductibles and co-pays
- Surgery, X-rays, and dental procedures
- Funeral expenses
How do I make a MedPay claim?
If you are injured in car accident in a car that you carry insurance on, simply contact your insurance company’s claims department. Often times, once you notify your insurance company that you were in an accident, they will open a Medpay claim if you tell them you received or plan to receive medical treatment. However, it’s always best to initiate the claim and never assume your insurance company is going to automatically open a MedPay claim for you.
If you are a passenger in someone else’s car, you can make a MedPay claim by contacting the car owner’s insurance. You do not need the policyholder to make the claim for you, you will just need to make sure you obtain all of the information needed to make the claim: the policy number, the policy holder’s full name, and the make and model of the vehicle should be sufficient.
Once the claim is opened, you will submit medical reports and bills to the claims adjuster and they will send you a check for the billed amount or the amount you paid out-of-pocket up to the policy limits.
The most common policy limits I see on Virginia policies range from $1,000 to $10,000. Typically, your private health insurance has already paid for the bulk of the medical treatment by the time you submit the evidence to the adjuster, and payments will be issued directly to you. However, there are some instances where the adjuster may pay the medical provider directly rather than you. This usually happens when your medical provider has you sign an assignment of benefits or your health insurance has not paid the bill.
If you have been injured in an accident, contact Brent today for a free case evaluation.