How Does Med Pay Work after a Traffic collision?
MedPay is a type of auto insurance coverage. It can cover all or part of your medical expenses after a car accident, regardless of who was at fault for the crash. In other words, to be eligible to file a MedPay claim, you do not need to establish that another driver’s negligence caused your crash. It also won’t matter if your own negligence contributed to your injuries.
In Georgia, MedPay is optional auto insurance coverage. Many people don’t even give a second thought to getting MedPay because they already have employer-provided or personal health insurance. However, in some situations, MedPay may provide valuable protection. It may ultimately prove to be a wise investment. For instance, if you have MedPay, it may help you to avoid a dispute with a health care insurer that balks at paying for treatment of your accident-related injuries.
If you recently suffered injuries in a car accident in the greater Atlanta area or elsewhere in Georgia, the attorneys of R. Alan Cleveland, LLC, will help you to explore all sources of compensation available to you, which could include your own MedPay coverage. Contact us today. We can review your case in a free consultation through our conveniently located Norcross office.
Who Is Eligible for MedPay?
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If you bought MedPay coverage and keep up with your insurance payments, then you should be entitled to file a MedPay claim after a crash. Again, you can file the claim regardless of whether you contributed to the collision and your own injuries. Under Georgia law, MedPay will provide coverage if you are the “named insured.” It will also cover your spouse, relatives living in your home and your passengers.
MedPay helps in many different circumstances. For example, if an insured driver caused the crash, MedPay will still provide coverage. If the at-fault driver’s insurance company takes a long to pay your claim, MedPay can also help you to get through that difficult waiting period.
However, if you got into an auto accident while you were at work, MedPay will not cover those medical expenses. In these cases, workers’ compensation typically will provide the coverage you need – even if you have MedPay insurance.
What Does MedPay Cover?
You can choose from many different MedPay coverage limits. They typically range from $1,000 to $50,000. After a car accident, MedPay may cover medical expenses such as:
- Ambulance and EMT fees
- Hospital visits
- X-rays and surgeries
- Prostheses
- Doctor’s appointments
- Professional nursing care and services
- Ongoing rehabilitation and therapy
- Dental care
- Funeral and burial expenses.
MedPay coverage follows the insured individual. So, if a motor vehicle driver hits you while you are walking down the street or riding your bike somewhere in the Atlanta area, your MedPay should still cover you. However, if you are in someone else’s car as a passenger at the time of an accident, you would file a claim through that driver’s MedPay coverage provider (if the driver has such insurance).
How Does MedPay Work in Georgia?
In Georgia, MedPay can work in one of two ways. It can act as your primary coverage and provide direct reimbursement. It can also act as supplementary coverage to a pre-existing health insurance policy.
If you use MedPay as supplementary coverage, you may find it to be confusing. Each insurance company determines how it combines the coverage. As a result, you may not know if your health insurance will provide coverage first, with MedPay only providing coverage afterwards, or if MedPay will provide coverage first, with your health insurance covering any remaining costs. All drivers should check their insurance policies after an accident to determine which insurance will provide initial coverage.
Another benefit to using MedPay as a direct reimbursement for medical costs is that you will face no deductibles or co-pays in these situations. You simply pay for your medical costs, and MedPay directly reimburses you. If you use MedPay as secondary coverage, and your health insurance provides coverage first, your MedPay coverage could then help to cover the cost of deductibles and co-pays.
Like other types of insurance coverage, a statute of limitations applies to MedPay claims. The statute of limitations is the amount of time you have to file a claim. In Georgia, the time limit is three years from the date of the accident. If you file a claim after this deadline passes, an insurance company will likely deny any MedPay claim that you file.
An insurance company cannot shorten the statute of limitations. However, it can extend the statute of limitations. But you really should not expect an insurer to do that. After all, profits drive insurance company decisions. If an insurance company can save money and deny a MedPay claim because you failed to timely file it, you can expect the insurance company to do so. It won’t matter to the insurance company that you have faithfully paid your premiums for many years. For this reason, you should file a MedPay claim – or work with an attorney to help you file one – as soon as you are able to do so.
Get Help from Our Norcross Car Accident Attorneys Today
If you have been hurt in an auto accident, don’t try to sort through your insurance policy or even speak to the insurance company on your own. Instead, get help from the experienced car accident attorneys at R. Alan Cleveland, LLC. We will bring more than 75 years of combined legal experience to your case and a record that includes more than $150 million in verdicts and settlements that we have obtained on behalf of clients throughout Georgia. We care about you and your future. We will go above and beyond to help you to pursue the maximum amount of compensation.
Every case starts with a free consultation. We can review the facts of your crash and determine the different sources of compensation available to you, which may include MedPay coverage. Call or reach us online today to learn more.
An Athens resident Alan Cleveland grew up in Rockdale County. As a founding partner of the personal injury law firm of R. Alan Cleveland, LLC he proudly serves his community and provides skilled representation to injury victims and their families all around Georgia. Alan earned his undergraduate degree from the University of Georgia and went on to graduate, summa cum laude, from Atlanta’s John Marshall Law School. He is also a graduate of Gerry Spence’s renowned Trial Lawyers College (TLC) in Wyoming. In his free time, Alan frequently speaks at continuing legal education seminars. He also volunteered as a youth baseball coach and assists with Georgia’s high school moot court competition held annually. Alan serves as a Trustee of Historic Athens and is a member of the Development Authority of the Unified Government of Athens-Clarke County.
