Using Med Pay for Auto Accident Injuries

MedPay or Health Insurance?

A client asked me today if they should use their medical payment coverage (MedPay) or their health insurance for their medical bills resulting from a car accident she was involve.

I advised her to use her MedPay for several reasons. One, health insurance often does not cover chiropractic treatment while MedPay almost always does. Second, you are not restricted to the doctors or type of care you select. You can choose the doctor that is most qualified for your type of injury. If you opt to choose a chiropractor then you may continue treatment as long as necessary to get well; up to the limits of your policy coverage.

Remember, Kaiser and other health insurance companies are not known for providing care for “soft tissue” type injuries. I have received many reports from people who go to Kaiser or their regular medical doctors who simply write prescriptions and suggest bed rest for very painful injuries.

One important consideration is that MedPay coverage will greatly increase the chances that you will be fully compensated for your personal injuries. Auto insurance companies do everything they can to avoid paying fair value for your injuries. It should be noted that smaller impact “soft tissue” cases have become increasingly more difficult to get paid full value on. Utilizing MedPay coverage increases the likely hood of a full value for your claim. Since it will cover some, if not all of your entire chiropractic and physical therapy bills, having MedPay will allow you to come out ahead in any injury settlement.

What kinds of bills will MedPay pay?

MedPay should cover medical bills that are reasonably related to and are necessary for the full recovery of the patient who was injured from the car accident. It often covers passengers even if you are  in someone else’s vehicle.

What Types of MedPay are There?

The best MedPay coverage is called “Non-Reimbursable MedPay”; There are only a few insurance companies that offer such coverage automatically. For all other carriers you must specifically ask for  ”Non-reimbursable MedPay Coverage.” This type of coverage will pay your medical bills after an auto accident and you DO NOT have to pay it back to your insurance company even if you get money from the at-fault driver’s insurance company.

How Much MedPay Should I Have?

If you do not have a health insurance policy in place then you should consider buying the maximum amount of coverage available. The law in Georgia requires you to have at least $25,000 of auto liability coverage to protect others on the road. Does it make sense to have less protection for yourself?