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Medical Coverages

Summary: Medical Car Insurance Coverages

Injured in a car accident? Medical car insurance coverages include: liability, personal injury protection (PIP insurance), and medical payments.

Medical Car Insurance Coverage

Medical coverage is one of three main groups of car insurance coverages that also include liability insurance and vehicle coverages.

Medical car insurance coverage helps pay for costs you encounter after you or your passengers are hurt in a car accident.

The two main types of medical coverage are:

  • Medical payments coverage.
  • Personal injury protection.

Medical Payments Coverage

Medical payments coverage will help pay for your medical bills after you are hurt in a car accident.

Medical payments will also help pay for:

  • Funeral costs.
  • Injuries suffered by your passengers.
  • Injuries you sustain as a pedestrian or bicyclist if you are hit by a car.
  • Necessary dental care resulting from a car accident.

Details may vary depending on your car insurance company. Speak to your car insurance agent or representative to learn more about their medical payments coverage.

Personal Injury Protection

Also known as “no-fault insurance," personal injury protection (PIP) is similar to medical payments coverage in that it helps pay your medical bills no matter who is found at fault for a car crash.

The key differences between PIP and medical payments coverage are:

  • PIP is generally required in no-fault states – which are also the only states where PIP is available.
  • Medical payments coverage is typically offered as an optional coverage.

PIP covers some costs not typically covered through medical payments coverage, such as income loss as a result of accident-related injuries.

Buying Medical Coverage

When comparison-shopping for car insurance, you should consider some factors before purchasing medical coverages.

Purchasing Personal Injury Protection

As stated above, where PIP is offered, it is typically required. This is because these no-fault states use personal injury protection coverage to restrict the number of car accident-related lawsuits. If your injuries are already covered, you are less likely to sue.

This makes coverage limits one of the biggest considerations when purchasing PIP. No-fault states typically set minimum limits when it comes to personal injury protection coverage. However, you may find these limits do not provide enough coverage.

Car insurance companies can offer higher limits, but keep in mind that higher limits mean higher rates.

Purchasing Medical Payments Coverage

When purchasing medical payments coverage, remember that while a state may require car insurance companies to offer this coverage to you, you have the option to turn it down.

One of the biggest considerations when buying medical payments coverage is something you should also consider when purchasing PIP: your health insurance. Read below to learn more.

Medical Coverage and Your Health Insurance

When buying any type of medical car insurance coverage, you should consider your health insurance.

Depending on what and how your health insurance covers in regards to injuries due to car accidents, you can better decide how much medical coverage you need to purchase, or if you even need to purchase any at all.

Drivers with excellent health insurance may be able to save money by purchasing only PIP minimum limits, or by not purchasing medical payments coverage.

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