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What Is Med-Pay, And How Can It Help Me After An Accident?

Medical Payments Coverage (“Med-Pay” or “MedPay”) is an optional rider on your car insurance policy that every driver in the Commonwealth of Virginia should have. It is very cheap, typically a few dollars a month, but the financial benefits if you are in a car accident can be astronomical. Without Med-Pay, the financial repercussions, especially if you do not have health insurance, can be devastating.

Many people do not have Med-Pay or even know what it is, whether because they have “point and click” car insurance purchased online, or they are working with an insurance broker who does not understand how Med-Pay works in Virginia. When purchasing insurance online, consumers often choose the least expensive policy available. And many insurance brokers lack a basic understanding of why it is necessary to include Med-Pay on every single insurance policy they write.

What is Med-Pay?

At Bowen Ten Long & Bal, PC, we represent personal injury victims and their families recover compensation for their losses. Often, the recovery process is long and drawn out, but car accident victims need money fast. This is where Med-Pay is a huge help.

  • Med-Pay is money available to you, whether you are at fault or not, to pay for or reimburse you for all medical bills you incur when you are injured in a motor vehicle accident. The Supreme Court of Virginia has said that the words “you incur” mean both your own out-of-pocket expenses and any bills paid by your health insurance company. So, if your co-pay is $20, but your health insurance pays $100, you get a check for $120. If your ER bill is $10,000, you have a $500 co-pay, your health insurance pays $5,000, and the rest is written off, well, then you get a check for $5,500. If you do not have health insurance, Med-Pay will pay dollar for dollar everything that is owed up to the maximum amount of Med-Pay coverage on your policy.
  • It doesn’t matter if you are in your car, a friend’s car or anyone else’s car.
  • It doesn’t matter if you are at fault or not.
  • Your Med-Pay is also available to anyone in your car.
  • The only requirement is that you are injured by a truck, car or another type of motor vehicle. You could be walking, riding a bike or simply in your bedroom and someone crashes into your house. As long as you are injured by a motor vehicle, you are covered.
  • If you use Med-Pay money, your insurance rates will not go up.
  • It is normally available in increments of $1,000, $5,000 and $10,000 and is multiplied by the number of cars you have on your policy. This is called “stacking”. So, if you have two cars on your insurance and $10,000 in Med Pay, you have $20,000 in coverage.

Do I need a lawyer to get my Med-Pay money?

No. Any Med-Pay money is contractually owed to you by your car insurance company. Med-Pay money is easy to get, and it normally only requires filling out a few simple forms.

At Bowen Ten Long & Bal, PC, we do not charge for helping our personal injury clients obtain their Med-Pay funds. The process is explained at the initial consultation. And the Med-Pay money goes straight to you.

How do I get Med-Pay?

Simply call your car insurance company and ask them to add it to your policy.

If you or someone you know has been in a motor vehicle accident, let us help you obtain all the compensation to which you are entitled. We can help whether or not you have Med-Pay. Contact us online or call us at 804-767-6850 for answers today.

We take these cases from all over the state. Whether you are in Richmond or elsewhere, we are happy to meet with you. We also offer remote consultations if that’s what’s easiest for you.