What is Med Pay and Should I Have It?

What is Med Pay and Should I Have It?

This applies to Connecticut.

Many of you have heard of "med pay" insurance coverage, but not many people actually know what it is.

First of all, it's optional. You don't automatically have it. You have to choose to have it, and pay extra for it.

Second, when you choose to have it, it is part of your auto insurance or part of your homeowner's insurance or part of your renter's insurance.

So what is it? Well, if you have it as part of your auto insurance, it is extra insurance coverage that will pay medical bills for anyone in your vehicle injured in an accident, regardless of fault. It will pay up to the amount of med pay coverage you choose to have, such as $1,000.00 or $3,000.00 or $5,000.00. Best of all, it does not cost a lot. It is fairly cheap.

So do you need it? No. Should you have it? That depends.

If you and your family already have good regular health insurance benefits, then you really don't need it, unless you want the coverage so that you do not need to deal with deductibles and co-pays.

On the other hand, if you and your family do not have decent health insurance benefits, it is an inexpensive way to make sure that there is some extra insurance coverage for any medical bills for anyone in your vehicle injured in an accident.

The bottom line is that you can save a few dollars and choose not to have it. Or you can provide some extra medical bill protection for you and the other occupants of your vehicle.

In over 21 years of handling personal injury cases, I have never encountered a client who regretted having med pay. But I have certainly had some clients wish they had it.