Arizona · Personal injury · Trial-ready representation
What MedPay actually covers, who can use it, why it's almost never repaid out of your settlement, and how to use it correctly after an Arizona crash.
Medical payments coverage — universally called “MedPay” — is one of the best values in Arizona auto insurance, and one of the most overlooked. For a few dollars a month, MedPay pays your medical bills after a crash regardless of who was at fault, with no deductible, no copay, and (in most cases) no requirement to pay it back at the end of the case. Most Arizona drivers either don’t carry it or have so little of it that they’re surprised when they need it.
The short version
ER and hospital bills
Including ambulance, ER physician, imaging, and admission charges.
Imaging and diagnostics
X-ray, MRI, CT scan, and follow-up imaging tied to the crash.
Follow-up care
Primary care, orthopedist, neurology, and other specialist visits for crash-related injuries.
Physical therapy and chiropractic
Outpatient rehab tied to the crash.
Prescriptions and durable medical equipment
Medications, braces, crutches, walkers — anything required by treatment.
Dental from facial trauma
Repair or replacement of teeth damaged in the crash.
What MedPay does not cover: lost wages, pain and suffering, vehicle repair, or any other non-medical loss. Those go through liability or UM/UIM coverage, not MedPay.
MedPay generally extends to:
You, the named insured
Whether you were driving your insured vehicle, riding as a passenger in someone else's car, or even walking when struck by a vehicle.
Family members in your household
Spouse, children, and other resident relatives, in most policies.
Passengers in your insured vehicle
Anyone riding in your vehicle at the time of a covered crash.
The exact scope depends on your policy language. Check the declarations page or call your agent to confirm who is listed.
Compared to months for liability settlement
The “no subrogation” point is the big one. Health insurance routinely demands repayment from your settlement; MedPay typically does not. That means MedPay dollars are essentially free money on top of the rest of your case — they pay early bills now and don’t shrink your net at the end.
Open a MedPay claim early
Notify your own insurer of the crash and ask to open a MedPay claim. Many people don't know they have it until weeks later.
Submit bills as you go
Have providers bill MedPay (or pay them and submit for reimbursement). MedPay generally pays whatever is left after your health insurance.
Use MedPay for copays and deductibles
Even if your health insurance covers the bulk of the bill, MedPay can cover the gap.
Don't exhaust it on negotiable bills
If you can run a bill through health insurance instead, you'll usually preserve MedPay for the things it pays best — out-of-pocket costs, copays, deductibles, and uncovered services.
MedPay vs. health insurance
MedPay pays no-fault and isn't typically repaid; health insurance pays larger bills but is generally repaid from settlement.
MedPay vs. PIP
Arizona is not a no-fault state and does not require PIP. MedPay is the closest equivalent available here.
MedPay vs. liability
MedPay is your own coverage, paid quickly. Liability is the at-fault driver's coverage, paid in a lump at the end.
MedPay vs. UM/UIM medical
Some UM/UIM endorsements include medical components, but the timing and repayment rules are very different. MedPay is usually faster and cleaner.
For most Arizona drivers, MedPay is one of the highest-value adds to a policy. The premium is low. The protection is immediate. And it’s one of the few coverages where the dollars really do come straight to you when you need them.
A short conversation with an attorney can save weeks of guesswork.
