UMBI coverages and Medical Payments Coverages

If an insured has both Medical Payments coverage and Uninsured Motorist coverage, do you exhaust the MP coverage first for the medical bills and then start on the UM coverages?

Answer:


Yes, technically speaking you are correct. There are few more considerations you must be aware of.

1. The first party coverage (medical payments) will pay up to the amount of the limit.

2. After the limit is reached, the UMBI portion will "kick in", however...

(a) the UMBI portion is fault based, meaning, you must be shown NOT at fault for the coverage to "kick in"

(b) the UMBI portion does not have to be "advanced paid" in other words, the carrier can wait until settlement to make the payments. This means that the medical bills that will incur (after the limit of Medical Payments is reached) will go unpaid until settlement. This is usually used by the carrier to compel a faster settlement.

The insurance company can agree to "advance pay" your medical bills, but they do not have to.

(for the record, once the claim is settled, the UMBI portion of the claim will pay back the Medical Payments for all amounts paid, this happens behind the scene).

Good Luck,
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