What does first-party benefits-medical coverage do?
First party benefits (FPB or MEDEX) can encompass several areas of insurance coverage; however, this definition is for first party benefits-medical.
First party benefit-medical insurance is similar to personal injury protection and medical payments coverage in that it provides coverage for medical expenses resulting from an auto accident, regardless of fault. It covers the policyholder, drivers listed on the policy and relatives living in the same household as the policyholder.
First party benefits specific limits and coverages vary by state, but typically it includes:
- Necessary medical and surgical treatment
- Necessary dental, psychiatric, psychological, and optometric treatment
- Essential rehabilitative services (physical therapy, speech pathology, etc.)
- Ambulance and nursing service
- Required medications, medical supplies, and prosthetic devices
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Covered costs are subject to the particular coverages and maximum limits you choose at the inception of your first party benefits policy.
There are other optional first party benefit coverages that can be added, each separately, to your policy for work loss, funeral benefits or accidental death. If you choose to add all three optional coverages to your first party benefit-medical insurance, then it’s called first party benefit-combination package benefit (FPB CPB).
In Pennsylvania there also is optional first-party benefits-extraordinary medical coverage. Here, when you have selected first party benefits- medical with a $100,000 limit you can get additional (extraordinary) coverage that allows you to raise the limit even higher – up to $1 million.
Is first-party benefits-medical coverage mandatory?
Pennsylvania is the only state that requires you to buy first party benefits-medical as part of your car insurance policy. The Pennsylvania Insurance Department says that motorists must have a minimum of $5,000 of medical benefits coverage, but higher limits are available. In Pennsylvania, if you are insuring more than one car on your policy, all vehicles must carry the same limits on FPB medical coverage.
What happens if I don’t have first-party benefits-medical coverage?
If this first party benefits coverage is optional in your state, and you choose to go without, then to have your medical expenses paid for you when you are at-fault in an accident, or the at-fault party cannot cover your injuries, you will need to have coverage such as medical payments or personal injury protection on your policy, or you may end up paying out-of-pocket for your medical bills.
If you have adequate health insurance and your state doesn’t require this coverage, then first party benefit-medical may be unnecessary.