The 10 most frequently asked questions about medical payments

1. What is medical payments coverage?

Medical payments coverage is optional coverage in North Carolina that you can purchase in conjunction with your automobile insurance policy. Medical payments coverage means that our insurance company will reimburse you and any passengers for medical expenses incurred for an accident sustained in your vehicle, AND IN SOME CASES FOR ACCIDENTS WHILE YOU ARE IN ANOTHER VEHICLE, regardless of who was at fault. Medical payments coverage is generally issued in amounts of $1,000, $2,000 or $5,000.

2. What is covered by medical payments coverage?

Medical payments insurance is for the sole purpose of reimbursing medical expenses, and does not cover pain and suffering, scarring, permanent disability, or lost wages. It is simply used to pay medical expenses.

3. Will using this coverage raise my insurance rates?

The use of the medical payments coverage will not increase your insurance premiums. Your insurance premiums can only be raised if you have a chargeable offense, or are involved in a chargeable accident.

4. Who is covered by medical payments coverage?

Medical payments coverage covers you, or any family member while occupying a motor vehicle, or as a pedestrian when struck by a motor vehicle. Additionally, medical payments coverage will cover any other person who is occupying either your covered automobile, or any other motor vehicle operated by you or a family member.

5. Can I recover medical payments coverage from more than one policy?

After you have exhausted the medical payments coverage for the vehicle in which you were riding, you can then turn to the medical coverage under all other policies in which you may be covered, following the rule in Question 4 above. Note, you can only recover medical payments coverage up to the amount of your actual expenses.

6. How long do I have to make a medical payments coverage claim?

Medical payments coverage covers expenses incurred within three (3) years from the date of the accident.

7. If somebody else is at fault in the accident, can I still recover medical payments coverage?

Yes. You may recover medical payments coverage in addition to any other liability payments to which you may be entitled by a responsible party.

8. How do I make a claim for medical payments?

Contact your insurance agent. You are paying him a premium for his service. He should be able to help you file for and collect your medical payments coverage.

9. What if I have a difficult time obtaining my medical payments coverage from my insurance company?

Ask your agent or the adjuster for an explanation for the delay. Insist that he put the explanation in writing. If there is no reasonable explanation, you may want to complain to the Commissioner of Insurance. The consumer hotline number is 800-662-7777.

10. Do I need an attorney to handle my medical payments coverage claim?

No. Usually, you should be able to obtain your medical payments coverage simply by providing documentation of your medical expenses, without the help of an attorney.
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