Coverage Guide
Medical payments coverage on a Texas auto policy pays your and your passengers’ medical bills after a crash, no matter who caused it. The Texas Department of Insurance notes it also pays if you are hurt riding in someone else’s car or while walking or biking. It is optional, and it works alongside personal injury protection, which every Texas auto policy includes unless you reject it in writing.
Medical payments usually pays
- Ambulance, emergency room, and doctor bills after a crash
- Bills for passengers in your car
- Your bills if a car hits you while walking or biking
- Funeral costs, on many forms
It does not pay
- People you injure in a crash you caused (that is liability)
- Lost wages (personal injury protection can)
- Repairs to your car
- Bills above your medical payments limit
How medical payments works in Texas
After a covered crash, medical payments pays reasonable medical expenses for you and your passengers up to the per-person limit you chose. You do not have to wait for the insurance companies to decide who was at fault. Send itemized bills and records showing the treatment was for crash injuries.
Texas requires liability coverage of at least $30,000 per injured person, $60,000 per crash, and $25,000 for property damage under the Texas Transportation Code. Liability pays other people when you are at fault. It does not pay your own medical bills, which is where medical payments and personal injury protection come in.
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Medical payments versus personal injury protection in Texas
Under Texas Insurance Code Chapter 1952, every auto liability policy must include personal injury protection unless a named insured rejects it in writing. Insurance companies must offer at least $2,500 per person. Personal injury protection pays medical bills and also lost income and certain other costs, regardless of fault. Medical payments covers only medical and, on many forms, funeral costs. Some drivers carry both. Others keep personal injury protection and skip medical payments. Compare them on Texas personal injury protection.
| Coverage | Who it pays | Fault matters? | What it pays for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Medical payments | You and your passengers | No | Medical and often funeral bills |
| Personal injury protection | You, passengers, and household members as defined | No | Medical bills, lost income, and some other costs |
| Bodily injury liability | People you injure | Yes, you must be at fault | Their damages, up to your limit |
| Uninsured motorist | You and your passengers | Yes, the other driver must be at fault | Your damages when they have no or too little insurance |
Picking a limit
Medical payments is usually sold in set amounts, and the price difference between limits is often small. Families who carry passengers often, have a high-deductible health plan, or have teen drivers may want a higher limit. Ask your agent to quote two or three options next to Texas uninsured motorist and liability so you can see the full picture.
Filing a claim
Get care right away, tell the provider it was a car crash, and notify your insurance company. Keep itemized bills and explanation-of-benefits statements from your health plan. If someone else caused the crash, your insurance company may later recover what it paid from the at-fault driver’s insurer.
Frequently asked questions
Is medical payments required in Texas?
No. Texas requires liability coverage, and personal injury protection is included unless you reject it in writing. Medical payments is optional.
Does medical payments pay if I caused the crash?
Yes, for you and your passengers, up to your limit. Your liability coverage handles the other people you injured.
Can I have both personal injury protection and medical payments?
Many Texas insurance companies offer both. Ask how they coordinate so the same bill is not submitted twice.
Does medical payments fix my car?
No. Repairs fall under collision or comprehensive.
Related Freedom guides
- Texas personal injury protection
- Texas liability coverage
- Texas uninsured motorist
- Texas full coverage
- Texas rental reimbursement
- Missouri medical payments
- Tennessee medical payments
- Insurance Center
Sources & next steps
Declarations pages, policy forms, and state rules control claim outcomes. Confirm limits, deductibles, and endorsements with a licensed agent before you rely on any summary.
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