Car insurance guide
Medical Payments (MedPay) Coverage: What It Pays and How It Works With Health Insurance
Even with health insurance, a car crash can leave you with deductibles, copays, and ambulance bills. Medical payments coverage, or MedPay, pays those costs for you and your passengers after a crash, no matter who caused it. In Arizona, it’s optional and often inexpensive, with limits commonly between $1,000 and $10,000.
This guide covers what MedPay pays, how it compares with PIP and health insurance, and how much to buy.
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What MedPay covers
MedPay helps pay for medical care after a car accident, including ambulance and emergency room bills, hospital stays, surgery, X-rays, dental and chiropractic care, nursing, prostheses, and funeral costs (NerdWallet). It can also pay your health plan’s deductible and copays.
It covers you and your family members in your car or someone else’s, your passengers, and you or a family member if a car hits you while walking or biking.
What it doesn’t cover
- Lost wages and child care.
- Injuries to people in the other car; your bodily injury liability covers those if you’re at fault.
- Costs above your limit.
- Health problems unrelated to the crash.
Limits and cost
MedPay limits are set per person, with common options from $1,000 to $10,000, and some insurers offer more. Higher limits cost more, but MedPay is generally among the less expensive coverages, and it usually has no deductible (NerdWallet). It’s required in only a few states, such as Maine and Pennsylvania; in Arizona, it’s optional.
How MedPay works with health insurance
Health insurance pays most crash-related care, but you still owe its deductible and copays, and some plans have high deductibles. MedPay can pay those costs, and it pays your passengers, who may have different or no health coverage. Some health plans and MedPay policies seek repayment from the at-fault driver’s insurer, a process called subrogation.
Worked example
Illustrative only. You and a passenger are hurt in a crash you caused. You have a $3,000 health plan deductible and $800 in copays. Your passenger has $4,500 in bills and no health insurance. You carry $5,000 in MedPay per person.
| Person | Out-of-pocket costs | MedPay pays | Left to pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| You | $3,800 (deductible + copays) | $3,800 | $0 |
| Passenger | $4,500 | $4,500 | $0 |
Check: $3,000 + $800 = $3,800, under the $5,000 limit, and the passenger’s $4,500 is also under the limit. With a $1,000 limit, you’d each pay the rest yourselves: $2,800 for you and $3,500 for the passenger.
MedPay vs. PIP
Personal injury protection (PIP) is broader: it can also pay lost wages and replacement services, and it’s required in no-fault states. MedPay generally covers only medical and funeral costs and usually has no deductible. If you have PIP, you typically don’t need MedPay. See at-fault vs. no-fault car insurance.
Is MedPay worth it in Arizona?
Arizona is an at-fault state, so the other driver’s insurance should eventually pay your injuries if they caused the crash, but that can take months, and Arizona’s minimum is only $25,000 per person. MedPay pays quickly regardless of fault. It’s most useful if you have a high-deductible health plan, often carry passengers, or ride with kids or friends who may not have health coverage. It may matter less if you have low-deductible health insurance and rarely carry passengers.
How a MedPay claim works
Report the crash to your insurer and tell the adjuster you have MedPay. Send itemized medical bills, receipts, and records as you get them; MedPay usually pays providers or reimburses you as bills come in, up to your limit, without waiting for fault to be decided. Keep track of what your health plan pays so bills aren’t paid twice. If another driver caused the crash, your insurer may seek repayment from their insurer, and you may need to sign forms allowing that. If you also file an injury claim against the at-fault driver, tell your attorney or adjuster about any MedPay payments.
Who benefits most
MedPay tends to help most for families who carry kids or friends, drivers with high-deductible health plans, and people who walk or bike often. It can also help retirees, since Medicare has its own deductibles and coinsurance. Because MedPay usually costs little, many drivers add at least a modest limit and pair it with strong uninsured motorist coverage for serious injuries.
Checklist
- Check your health plan’s deductible and out-of-pocket maximum.
- Think about who usually rides with you.
- Compare prices for $1,000, $5,000, and $10,000 limits.
- Keep uninsured motorist coverage for serious injuries.
- Ask how your insurer handles subrogation.
MedPay FAQs
What is MedPay?
Optional car insurance coverage that pays medical and funeral costs for you and your passengers after a crash, no matter who caused it.
Is MedPay required in Arizona?
No. It’s optional in Arizona.
Does MedPay have a deductible?
Usually not.
Does MedPay cover lost wages?
No. PIP can cover lost wages, but MedPay generally doesn’t.
Do I need MedPay if I have health insurance?
Not always, but it can pay your deductible and copays and cover passengers without health insurance.
Does MedPay cover pedestrians?
It covers you and family members if a car hits you while walking or biking. It doesn’t cover pedestrians you hit; your liability coverage does.
How much MedPay should I buy?
Many drivers choose enough to cover their health plan’s deductible, often $5,000 or more.
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Not legal advice. Traffic, fault, and insurance rules summarized here are general information as of November 2026 and can change. Check current law, your court, or the Arizona MVD, or talk with an attorney about your situation.
Availability. Coverage, prices, discounts, and eligibility vary by insurer, state, and applicant, and are subject to underwriting. The issued policy controls.
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