Medical Payments Coverage, or Medpay in Missouri, pays medical bills resulting from the injuries you suffer in an auto collision, no matter who caused the wreck. Medpay coverage is optional in Missouri, but here’s our piece of lawyer advice: ask your insurance agent about this coverage and its adequate limits.
Why Should I Consider Medical Payments Coverage?
Medpay has many of the same benefits as your standard health insurance. However, your health insurance may have gaps in coverage or high deductibles. Medpay can be used to meet your deductible and satisfy your immediate medical bills after a car accident. This is to protect your hard earned credit rating. If a medical provider doesn’t get paid promptly after a wreck, they often send your bill to collections. If you don’t have a mechanism for paying the bill quickly, like through Medpay, the effect of this overdue medical bill caused by someone else’s negligence could hurt your ability to obtain loans far into the future.
A Lawyer’s Recommendation
Although I encourage you to visit with your agent about the cost of this coverage, it is our experience that Medpay coverage premiums are relatively small when compared to other forms of coverage. We also recommend that you get as much as you can afford under the circumstances. Medical Payments Coverage should be at least the amount of your health insurance deductible. For many policies that will be $5,000. I have seen clients with as much as $100,000 in coverage for Medpay. That may seem like a lot, however, these days it doesn’t take much to incur more than that amount of medical expense from injuries related to car crashes.
What Will Medpay Do to My Premiums?
Clients often ask me, “What will Medpay do to my premiums?” Missouri law indicates that your premiums will not be affected by claims when you are not at fault. Therefore, if you are the victim of someone else’s negligence and you have an injury that required medical treatment, seeking payment from your own Medpay coverage should not affect your premiums now or in the future.
Medpay is often overlooked, but it is in extremely valuable part of your overall coverage. Plus, it becomes very important in protecting your credit when a crisis occurs. Be sure and visit with your insurance agent right away about adding Medpay coverage to your auto policy. And if you find yourself in need of an experienced, local attorney as a result of an auto accident, contact Pettit Law Office.