What Medical Payments Coverage Actually Pays
Medical Payments coverage (MedPay) pays medical and funeral expenses for you and your passengers after a car accident, regardless of who caused the crash. Arizona doesn't require it, so you choose whether to add it to your policy. It covers hospital bills, ambulance fees, surgery, X-rays, dental work from accident injuries, and funeral costs up to the policy limit you select.
MedPay sits on your own auto policy and pays quickly after an accident without waiting for fault determination or liability claims to settle. If you carry it on a multi-vehicle policy, it applies to any covered driver or passenger injured while occupying any vehicle listed on that policy. The coverage follows the policy, not individual cars, so one MedPay election covers every vehicle and driver under the same policy number.
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Get Your Free QuoteArizona Minimum Liability
$25,000 / $50,000 / $15,000
Arizona requires $25,000 bodily injury per person, $50,000 per accident, and $15,000 property damage. Those limits cover injuries you cause to others; MedPay covers your own medical bills and those of your passengers regardless of fault.
Arizona Revised Statutes, state minimum liability requirements
How MedPay Layers With Health Insurance
MedPay is not health insurance and does not replace it. Health insurance covers medical expenses from any cause; MedPay covers only accident-related medical bills arising from car crashes. The two coverages layer: MedPay typically pays first, covering deductibles, copays, and any expenses your health plan excludes or delays. After MedPay exhausts its limit, your health insurance processes remaining bills under its usual terms.
This layering matters for households managing multiple vehicles because a single MedPay policy covers every listed driver and passenger across all cars on that policy. If your health plan carries a high deductible, MedPay absorbs that cost immediately after an accident without requiring you to meet the health plan's deductible first. If your health plan excludes certain treatments or imposes waiting periods, MedPay pays those bills up to its limit.
Arizona law does not require health insurers to coordinate with MedPay, so the order of payment depends on each policy's coordination-of-benefits language. Most MedPay policies are written as primary coverage for auto accident injuries, meaning they pay before health insurance. Verify this with your carrier when adding MedPay to a multi-vehicle policy.
MedPay on one policy covers every driver and passenger in any vehicle listed on that policy, but it does not cover injuries sustained while occupying a vehicle titled to someone outside the household or on a separate policy.
MedPay Limits and Cost Structure
Selecting a MedPay limit requires comparing your health insurance deductible and out-of-pocket maximum against the MedPay premium.
MedPay premiums vary by limit selected, the number of vehicles on the policy, and your household's driving history. Adding MedPay to a multi-vehicle policy increases the total premium, but the per-vehicle cost is often lower than adding it to separate single-car policies. Carriers writing multi-vehicle policies in Arizona include Geico, Progressive, State Farm, Allstate, Farmers, and USAA. Compare MedPay pricing across carriers when structuring coverage for multiple vehicles.
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When MedPay Applies Across Multiple Vehicles
A single MedPay election on a multi-vehicle policy covers injuries sustained by any driver or passenger listed on that policy while occupying any listed vehicle. You do not need separate MedPay limits for each vehicle.
MedPay does not cover injuries sustained while occupying a vehicle not listed on the policy, even if the injured person is a named insured. If a household member drives a car titled to someone outside the household or covered under a separate policy, MedPay on your multi-vehicle policy does not apply to injuries from that vehicle. This gap matters when combining households or insuring vehicles across multiple policies.
MedPay also covers injuries sustained as a pedestrian or bicyclist struck by a car, provided the injured person is a named insured or resident relative on the policy. This pedestrian coverage applies regardless of which vehicle on the policy was involved, making it a household-level protection rather than a per-vehicle feature.
Arizona Uninsured Motorist Rate
10.6%
Roughly one in ten Arizona drivers carries no insurance. MedPay pays your medical bills immediately after an accident, even when the at-fault driver is uninsured or underinsured and cannot cover your expenses through their liability policy.
Insurance Research Council, 2023 uninsured motorist data
MedPay and Fault-Based Liability Claims
Arizona is a fault-based state, meaning the at-fault driver's liability insurance pays for injuries they cause. If another driver causes an accident and their bodily injury liability limit is sufficient, their policy pays your medical bills. MedPay pays regardless of fault, so it covers your expenses immediately while you pursue a liability claim against the at-fault driver.
This immediate payment matters when the at-fault driver is uninsured, underinsured, or disputes fault. MedPay pays your medical bills up to its limit without waiting for fault determination, liability settlement, or litigation. After MedPay pays, you retain the right to recover those expenses from the at-fault driver's liability policy. If you recover damages from the at-fault driver, your MedPay carrier may seek reimbursement under its subrogation rights, depending on the policy's terms.
Compare MedPay Across Arizona Carriers
Carriers writing multi-vehicle policies in Arizona offer MedPay at varying limits and premiums. Geico, Progressive, State Farm, Allstate, Farmers, USAA, Nationwide, Liberty Mutual, and Travelers all write MedPay coverage in Arizona. Compare the cost of adding MedPay to your multi-vehicle policy against the deductible and out-of-pocket costs your health insurance would impose after an accident. If your health plan carries a high deductible or excludes certain accident-related treatments, MedPay fills that gap immediately. Use Arizona Car Insurance Requirements' comparison tool to see MedPay pricing from carriers writing your household's vehicles and structure coverage that layers with your health plan effectively.