New Mexico MedPay: What you need to know
By harmonsonlaw on August 4th, 2021 in Car Accidents
In New Mexico, insurance companies offer medical payments insurance, also referred to as MedPay, which helps with hospital bills resulting from a car accident.
In addition to helping with medical payment coverage, MedPay can also help pay for funeral expenses after fatal accidents. MedPay is an optional form of auto insurance that typically covers the policyholder, family members driving the car, and any passengers.
From our office in Las Cruces, the Harmonson Law Firm is here to help you understand what you need to know when it comes to MedPay. As mentioned above, MedPay is a type of insurance that helps pay for medical bills resulting from a car accident.
MedPay coverage applies no matter who’s at fault for the accident. MedPay is similar to PIP (Personal Injury Protection) insurance in that both handle your medical bills even if you cause a car accident.
However, MedPay covers less than PIP, with no provisions for lost wages or assistance with home tasks that you can’t manage due to injury. Unfortunately, there is no PIP coverage in New Mexico.
There are a few key things to note when thinking through MedPay coverage:
- MedPay often costs less than $10 per month.
- Coverage applies after any car accident, regardless of fault, including when the policyholder is hit by a vehicle while walking, cycling, or riding public transit.
- MedPay does not require the policyholder to pay any deductibles or copays.
- MedPay insurance is similar to personal injury protection but does not offer as much coverage.
- MedPay can be purchased even if you already have health insurance or personal injury protection.
While there are definitely benefits to MedPay, there are some drawbacks, as well.
For example, MedPay does not cover as much as other insurance policies; however, it can provide coverage more quickly if you are found to be at fault for an accident.
Below is a more specific breakdown of the policy.
What MedPay covers:
- Medical bills usually covered by health insurance
- Professional nursing services
- Funeral expenses
- Deductibles, copays, and coinsurance for other types of insurance
- Lost wages
- Childcare and other non-medical related expenses
- Property damage
- Other drivers’ injuries
Filing a Med Pay claim can be tricky– just like all other paperwork dealing with car accidents.
Here are the steps involved in filing a MedPay claim:
- Contact your insurer as soon as possible after the accident.
- Give the health care provider information about your Med Pay policy, as well as any health insurance you have.
- Ask the health care provider if they will bill you or the insurance company if you’re in non-emergency care.
- Document all of your medical expenses to send to your car insurance company if the health care provider is billing you directly.
Consulting and hiring a personal injury lawyer to assist you in dealing with insurance companies and health care providers can help you get the care you need quickly. There are so many individual factors that can lead to different coverage regarding medical experience with insurance companies, so an experienced car accident attorney can be a vital resource. When dealing with medical expenses, even if you are at fault, having an attorney to help you navigate MedPay can be indispensable.
Our team at Harmonson Law Firm will do our best to make sure you, your family, or anyone else in the car is getting the proper medical treatment after an accident. Contact (575) 208-2572 for a free consultation.
