Is Medical Payments Car Insurance Worth It
It's usually worth keeping if an adult child still drives your cars occasionally, since it pays medical bills no matter who's at fault.
What decides whether this coverage still pulls its weight
- Who still drives the cars If a child comes home and drives your car during visits, this coverage still protects them. Check who's listed as an occasional driver before you cut it.
- Your health insurance gap This coverage fills deductibles and copays your health plan leaves behind after a crash. If everyone on the policy has solid health coverage, the overlap matters less.
- How many cars you insure Medical payments coverage is usually priced per vehicle. If you're dropping a car your kids used to drive, you're also dropping that cost.
- State rules on coverage Some states require a version of this coverage or bundle it with something similar. Check your state's rules before deciding to remove it.
- Cost versus what it covers This coverage is usually cheap compared to liability or collision. Ask your agent what you'd actually save by dropping it before assuming it's worth cutting.
A son who visits twice a year and drives your spare car
A couple in their late fifties had two cars insured, one mostly idle since their son moved out. He still visited a few times a year and borrowed the spare car to run errands. They weren't sure if keeping him as an occasional driver made sense, and they wondered if medical payments coverage still mattered since he had his own health insurance through work.
They called their agent and found out that even with his own health coverage, medical payments coverage on the car would pay first, before his insurance had to step in, and it also covered passengers regardless of fault. Since the cost was small compared to the liability and collision portions of the policy, they kept it rather than removing it. They did lower the coverage on the spare car since it was driven only a few weeks a year, and listed their son as an occasional driver rather than a primary one. The bill dropped, but the medical payments piece stayed exactly as it was, because it still did its job on the rare day he was behind the wheel.
Now that you know whether to keep or drop this coverage, compare quotes to see what your policy should look like.
Should I drop medical payments coverage once my kids move out?
Not automatically. The value of this coverage depends on who still drives your cars, not on who lives in your house. If your adult children visit and drive occasionally, or if anyone in your household could be a passenger in someone else's car, this coverage still pays out regardless of fault.
The bigger question is whether your health insurance already covers those costs well. If everyone on your policy has strong health coverage with low deductibles, this coverage does less work. If anyone has a high deductible or gaps in coverage, it still fills a real need. Ask your agent what it actually costs on your policy before deciding, since it's often a small piece of the overall bill.
This coverage protects whoever's in the car, not whoever lives in your house, so judge it by that.
Does medical payments coverage cover my child when they're visiting and driving my car?
Yes, as long as they're listed as a driver on your policy or qualify as a permissive user under your insurer's rules. Coverage applies based on who's driving or riding in the car, not where they live. Check your policy's definition of a covered driver, since some insurers limit coverage for drivers who don't live in the household.
Can I lower medical payments coverage instead of dropping it completely?
Yes, many insurers let you choose a lower coverage amount rather than removing it entirely. This can cut the cost while still leaving a cushion for small medical bills after a crash. Ask your agent what coverage levels are available and how much each level actually costs, since the difference is often small.
Does medical payments coverage duplicate my health insurance?
Partially, but it pays first and covers some costs health insurance doesn't, like deductibles or copays right after a crash. Whether it fully duplicates your health plan depends on your plan's deductible and how it handles accident-related claims. Check your health policy's fine print before assuming the two fully overlap.
