How Does Medical Payments Coverage In A Homeowners Insurance Policy Work?

What Exactly Is Medical Payments Insurance?

Medical payments coverage, as the name implies, pays the medical bills of people who are injured on your property by accident, excluding members of your own household.

It makes no difference who is to blame for the incident. Finally, medical payment coverage can serve as a financial buffer for minor injuries and may prevent an injured party from suing you for monetary compensation.

Furthermore, it can assist an injured person who has been hit with medical bills but does not have health insurance.

This coverage applies to minor injuries that occur anywhere on your property and adjacent property, such as alleys and sidewalks. It also covers injuries that occur away from home, such as your dog biting someone in a park.

The medical payments portion of your home insurance policy usually has a coverage limit of $1,000 to $5,000. It's a small amount meant for minor injuries. You may be able to pay more to increase the limit on your policy.

Medical payments coverage typically pays for "reasonable and necessary" medical expenses incurred within a year of the accident, but this period may be extended.

Medical payments coverage limits are typically applied to each person injured in an accident rather than simply providing blanket coverage for one accident.

What Does Medical Payments Insurance Cover?

Medical payments coverage may pay for the following items:

Emergency room visits

Stays in the hospital

Surgeries

Rehabilitation therapy

X-rays

Rides in an ambulance

Services for the dead

However, keep in mind that you will need more than $1,000 in coverage.

Here's an example of how this protection works: If a neighbor falls on your steps and chips his tooth, your medical payments coverage should cover the cost of dental work up to the amount specified in your policy. It makes no difference who was to blame for his fall.

Medical payments insurance does not cover tenants or activities related to an at-home business or household members.

How Does One File a Claim for Medical Payments?

If a friend or neighbor is injured at your house, they are advised to submit their medical bills to your insurance company. This way, you can pay your bills quickly and without the risk of a liability claim being filed against you.

The deductible on your homeowner's insurance policy does not apply to medical payments coverage claims.

If an accident occurs at your home, you should document the circumstances. This can help clear up any confusion about what happened later on. For example, someone may claim to have slipped and fallen on an icy sidewalk in front of your house, but you can show them a photo of the sidewalk being dry at the time.

Discuss this specific portion of homeowner's insurance coverage to learn more about it with your agent.