MedPay in California: The Part of Your Auto Policy That Can Pay for Care

Quick answer: MedPay, short for medical payments coverage, is the part of a California auto policy that covers medical expenses if you or your passengers are injured. The California Department of Insurance says it can pay for immediate medical care no matter who is at fault. It is optional, so you only have it if you bought it. The minimum limit is $1,000 for each person injured, and you can ask for higher limits. If you were hurt in a crash in San Diego, it is worth checking your policy for it today.

What does medical payments coverage pay for?

In the Department of Insurance’s words, it “covers the cost of medical expenses if you or your passengers are injured.” Its plain-language summary says it “pays limited medical expenses for people injured in the car you are driving when you have an accident, whether or not you are at fault.”

The word limited matters. MedPay pays up to the limit on your policy, and at the state’s minimum that is $1,000 per person. Read your policy for what it says about the kinds of care it covers and any exclusions, because the policy is what your insurer goes by.

How is it different from the other coverages?

This is where most of the confusion comes from. Here is how the Department of Insurance describes each one:

Coverage	What the Department of Insurance says	Required?
Liability	Helps pay for injuries or damage you cause to others. Does not pay for injuries to you or your household	Yes. Minimum $30,000 / $60,000 / $15,000
Medical payments	Covers medical expenses if you or your passengers are injured, no matter who is at fault	No. You may be offered it and can choose not to buy it
Uninsured motorist bodily injury	Pays for injuries to you and anyone in your car when an uninsured driver is at fault	The insurer must offer it. Turning it down takes a signed waiver
Underinsured motorist	Covers limited costs for bodily injury when the other driver doesn’t have enough insurance	The insurer must offer it. Turning it down takes a signed waiver
Collision	Covers damage to your car from contact with another vehicle or an object	If you have a loan, you usually need to insure your car

Those $30,000, $60,000 and $15,000 figures are the state’s minimum liability limits: $30,000 for the death or injury of any one person, $60,000 for more than one person in an accident, and $15,000 for property damage.

Does it matter who caused the crash?

Not for medical payments coverage. The Department of Insurance says it can pay “no matter who is at fault,” so this coverage doesn’t turn on who caused the crash the way liability coverage does.

How do you find out if you have it?

Look at the declaration page of your auto policy. The Department of Insurance says that page lists the covered drivers, the insured vehicles, and the coverage limits and deductibles. Look for “medical payments” and the amount beside it.

If you can’t find it, call your agent or insurance company. The department’s guide also says that if you don’t understand your policy, you should ask them to clarify it, and that you should notify them of an accident immediately.

What do you need to make a medical payments claim?

The guide says that if you have a medical payments or an uninsured motorist claim, you must provide documentation of your loss, including injuries, medical expenses and lost wages. In practice, that means keeping your paperwork together from day one:

• Medical bills and receipts, by date
• Records of your visits and your diagnosis
• A note of the days you missed work, and what your employer will confirm

Your insurer will contact you for details and may take a written or recorded statement. The guide says a representative should contact you within a reasonable time, and that under certain circumstances the company can take up to 15 days. If they aren’t responsive, call your agent or the Department of Insurance at 1-800-927-4357.

Can you use MedPay at this office?

Ask us. Your policy decides what MedPay pays, and how your care gets billed is a question worth settling before your visit. Call (858) 549-1088 and ask how your care can be billed. The office’s standard policy is payment at the time of service, by cash, check with valid ID, debit, MasterCard, Visa, American Express or Discover. It is also in network with many health plans, including Anthem Blue Cross / Blue Shield, Cigna, United Healthcare and Humana. New patients pay $65 on the first visit.

What else should you do this week?

Two more things are worth doing soon. California has its own accident report, the SR-1, due to the DMV within 10 days in many crashes. And the Department of Insurance has a list of what to do after a crash, including a warning about unsolicited referrals.

Then deal with how you feel. If your neck hurts, read about whiplash and neck pain after a car accident. If you have a headache, read concussion signs that can start days or weeks later first.

Why see Dr. Anderson after a crash in San Diego?

At Anderson Chiropractic & Wellness, your first visit includes your medical history and a full exam, with imaging if it is needed, and every patient gets an individualized treatment plan. The office is in Scripps Ranch, also serving Poway, and walk-ins are welcome. Call (858) 549-1088 or contact the office.