Home insurance coverage is mostly remembered for protecting against natural disasters, theft, and vandalism. However, do you know it also provides medical payment coverage? Often, people confuse this coverage with personal liability coverage, as both are designed to cover a third party or guest when they sustain an injury on your property. Nevertheless, the two coverages are different. Let us discuss more medical payments coverage and how it differs from personal liability coverage.
What Is Medical Payments Coverage?
It pays for the medical expenses of people (other than your family members) injured on your property, regardless of who is at fault for the accident. Covering the medical bills, this coverage prevents the victim from filing legal litigation against you. This coverage will cover minor injuries happening anywhere on your property, including places connected to your home, such as sidewalks, corridors, alleys, etc.
It also pays for some injuries happening outside of your home, such as your dog biting someone at the park, causing injuries. As it is designed to cover minor injuries, the standard limit for the medical payments coverage under homeowners policy is stipulated as $1,000 to $5,000. However, if needed, you can increase the coverage amount.
Also, this coverage only reimburses for the necessary and reasonable medical bills within one year of the incident, but the period can be longer depending on your policy type. Medical payments coverage will pay for the medical bills of all victims in an accident rather than covering one person at a time. However, it won’t pay for the injuries sustained by your tenants or caused by activities related to your home-based business.
What Kind of Medical Payments Are Covered?
- Ambulance rides
- X-rays
- Hospital stays
- ER visits
- Physical therapy
- Surgeries
- Funeral services
How to File a Claim for Medical Payments Coverage?
After sustaining an injury, the victim can submit their medical bills to your insurer to get reimbursed quickly. Remember, your home insurance deductible does not apply to medical payments coverage claims. If the incident happened in and around your property, it is better to document it to avoid confusion later. For example, the victim may say they slipped over your uneven walkway and injured their leg. However, you can show a picture to prove that your walkway was even and clean then.
How Does Personal Liability Coverage Differ from Medical Payments Coverage?
Personal liability coverage will cover third-party medical payments only if the policyholder or their family member has caused the injury. Still, medical payments coverage will kick in despite who is at fault. Also, liability coverage has high coverage limits (up to $300,000). It pays for third-party property damage on or away from your home, but medical payments coverage will not cover such incidents.
Besides, liability coverage can cover the expenses of lawsuits filed against you, including legal costs, attorney fees, and settlement costs. Also, you can increase the coverage limit with an umbrella policy. Nevertheless, medical payments coverage is designed to cover only medical bills for minor injuries.
Stay Covered Against Third-Party Injuries with Locke Insurance!
At Locke Insurance Group, we offer all-inclusive home insurance that includes medical payments coverage to help you stay protected against medical expenses resulting from third-party injuries. Contact us today to get the right home insurance policy for your needs.