WHY YOU SHOULD HAVE MEDICAL PAYMENTS COVERAGE ON YOUR AUTO POLICY
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FIVE THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT MEDICAL PAYMENTS COVERAGE
- MedPay will pay your medical bills even if you are at fault;
- Medpay will pay all co-pays from the accident if you have health insurance;
- Medpay will pay medical bills without a referral from an accident even if your health insurance does not or you do not have health insurance;
- The average cost to have MedPay per month is generally an additional $2per month for $1,000 in coverage to $37 for $25,000 in coverage for $25,000 in coverage;
https://www.valuepenguin.com/medical-payments-car-insurance-coverage
- Medpay will cover funeral or emergency out of network expenses which health insurance often does not cover;
Medical payments coverage, often referred to in the industry as MedPay, is a coverage that pays for medical or funeral expenses that occur because of an auto accident without referrals, deductions, or hassells. It is an optional coverage that is available when you purchase your auto insurance policy or can be added later. This coverage covers the person who purchased the policy called the policyholder, any passengers and family members driving or riding in the vehicle at the time of an accident. As will be outlined below, this policy can sometimes extend to cover injuries you sustained outside of the car as a pedestrian. Most importantly, this is coverage that it applies no matter who is at fault for the accident. This is critical. If you cause the accident, this coverage will be the only coverage available to help with co-pays or any medical bills if you do not have health insurance. In Nevada, the insurance companies must offer this to you when you buy your insurance.
The relevant statute is NRS 687B.145(3) entitled “Provisions in policies of casualty insurance: Proration of recovery or benefits; uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage; coverage for medical expenses; insurer not entitled to subrogation upon payment made because of underinsured vehicle coverage.” Which states:
“3. An insurance company transacting motor vehicle insurance in this State must offer an insured under a policy covering the use of a passenger car, the option of purchasing coverage in an amount of at least $1,000 for the payment of reasonable and necessary medical expenses resulting from an accident. The offer must be made on a form approved by the Commissioner. The insurer is not required to reoffer the coverage to the insured in any replacement, reinstatement, substitute or amended policy, but the insured may purchase the coverage by requesting it in writing from the insurer. Each renewal must include a copy of the form offering such coverage.”
Unfortunately, unlike the UM/UIM provisions, there is no reference in NRS 687B.145(3) to a waiver form requirement. In fact, the Nevada Supreme Court decision of Banks v. Progressive Northern Insurance Co., No. 2:12-CV-00861-KJD-VCF, 2012 WL 6697542 (D. Nev. Dec. 21, 2012), held that “if the Legislature meant to impose a written rejection requirement on MedPay coverage offers, it would have expressly so stated, as it did in NRS 690B.020 for minimum UM/UIM coverage.” Therefore, it is on the consumer to carefully decide if this is a coverage they want to purchase.
MedPay coverage in Nevada will pay your bills immediately. They will not ask for a referral or a discount, but they will pay your actual bills incurred up to the limit of your medical payments coverage. Frequently, people assume that the at fault driver will timely pay all their bills. Unfortunately, the adverse insurance company will not pay any bills directly. They will only pay to resolve the entire claim when your injuries and treatment have concluded. There may be a substantial period of time where you have outstanding bills that need to be paid before they go to collections.
MedPay coverage limits generally range from $2,000.00 to $25,000.00. It is important to maximize benefits in an auto accident. At the TheOneLawyer.com we have 20 years’ experience in making sure that our clients recover the maximum amount of money in their pocket and all their bills or timely paid.
WHY YOU NEED MEDPAY WHEN YOU HAVE HEALTH INSURANCE
Sadly, I have had clients tell me that their agent advised them they did not need MedPay coverage if they have health insurance. This was bad advice on behalf of their agents. Health insurance does not always pay your medical bills related to a car accident and they are entitled to be indemnified (aka reimbursed) out of your settlement. However, even if health insurance, it does “cover” all of your bills, Health insurance, as we all know, often will not cover certain events or there can be very large co-pays for out of network or “unauthorized” treatment. The ambulance bill is often only covered at a very small portion by health insurers and the remaining balance will go to collections quickly. Med pay is a coverage that covers this gap. MedPay coverage can offset those expenses and pay those co-pays while your health insurance picks up the remaining balance. MedPay can reimburse you timely for those deductibles so that you do not have to worry about getting behind on bills as the result of expenses related to an auto accident.
COST OF MEDICAL PAYMENTS COVEREAGE
MedPay is a coverage is reasonable and allows policyholders to choose a limit a.k.a. a maximum dollar amount that will be paid by your policy for your medical bills. It is generally not a very expensive coverage and can provide extraordinary peace of mind and financial security in the event of an automobile collision. Like anything else, there will be a slight increase in your rates for obtaining medical payments coverage. It is also important to note that it is a coverage you can add to your policy at any time. Call your agent or your carrier to discuss the cost of adding this coverage or go online to check. Value Penguin did research regarding the costs. Below are their finding of some examples of the additional cost added to a premium:
| “Coverage Limit per Incident | GEICO | State Farm | Allstate | Esurance | Progressive* |
| $1,000 | 4.56 | 1.56 | 8.00 | 5.10 | 6.00 |
| $2,000 | 8.76 | 12.00 | 6.46 | 9.00 | |
| $5,000 | 19.18 | 3.12 | 20.00 | 8.48 | 17.00 |
| $10,000 | 27.52 | 4.37 | 26.00 | 28.56 | 26.00 |
| $25,000 | 6.87 | 32.00 | 36.72 | 35.00 |
https://www.valuepenguin.com/medical-payments-car-insurance-coverage
CONTACT TheOneLawyer.com IF YOU ARE INJURED IN AN ACCIDENT
MedPay can work in any way that is best suited for your situation. As counsel for injured people, we maximize our client’s benefits and make sure that their bills are covered to the best available coverages in every situation. For example if our client has health insurance, we will reserve MedPay payments until all co-pays have been received to make sure that co-pays are promptly paid on behalf of our clients so that bills do not go to collections. If you are involved in an accident and you have MedPay coverage, it is always extremely important to work closely with your attorney to make sure that all bills are timely sent to counsel’s office. At TheOneLawyer.com, we work diligently to maximize our client’s benefits.
By contacting a lawyer immediately, you can receive the most money for your injury claim. Having worked in the insurance industry as an attorney for 9 years before opening our boutique law firm specializing in helping injured people, I reviewed thousands of insurance policies. With extensive experience in the insurance field, I can help you review your injury claim and maximize the money you receive in your pocket after your bills and fees are paid.
At TheOneLawyer.com, we are here to serve our community and provide legal services in the Henderson and Las Vegas area. We are a boutique law firm providing experienced and personal representation to injured clients. At the Law Offices of Laura Payne-Hunt, TheOneLawyer.com we provide professional and personal service to each and every one of our clients on various legal matters and have over 15 years of experience in reviewing insurance policies and in Nevada insurance law. If you have a question regarding any type of personal injury or paying your medical bills from an accident, please do not hesitate to call the offices of TheOneLawyer.com and speak directly to attorney Laura Marie Payne-Hunt, Esq. a Henderson Injury Attorney for over 15 years. Laura is recognized as one of Nevada’s Top 100 Lawyers. She has the experience and knowledge to obtain the maximum settlement you deserve. Please call our office if you or a loved one is injured. We can make sure that you receive the care you need and deserve and advise on how to preserve evidence.
At our office, we are experienced in helping injured victims get the compensation they are entitled to. Insurance companies never have the best interest of the injured person at the top of their priorities. They want to pay as little on every claim as possible. Having worked for an insurance company as an attorney for 9 years before opening my boutique law firm specializing in helping injured people, I have reviewed thousands of auto accident claims and policy provisions.
At the Henderson and Las Vegas Accident injury law offices of TheOneLaweyer.com, Laura Marie Payne-Hunt and her staff are here to help you and your family in the event that accidents and tragedies occur. For any of your legal needs, do not hesitate to contact our Henderson and Las Vegas Accident injury offices. TheOneLawyer.com is a boutique, family-owned law firm that specializes in helping injured people and the community of Las Vegas and Henderson Nevada with legal issues involving auto accidents, wrongful deaths, slip and falls, truck accidents, injuries to children, bicycle accidents, dog bites, product liability claims, and all types of injury claims. Please do not hesitate to call us anytime you have a legal question or you or a loved one has sustained an injury at 702-450-(HUNT) 4868 and text 24/7 at 702-600-0032.
Contact me today – As a former insurance attorney, I have expert knowledge of how insurance companies operate, and I get you the best possible outcome for your case!
