For years I have been asked by clients this question and for years the answer is the same “maybe”. While most reputable Health Carriers choose to Coordinate Benefits with Auto Insurance some simply exclude Auto Injury all together. For those who have health policies with Auto Exclusions, it is important to maximize your Medical and Uninsured Motorist coverage in the event of a loss. Medical payments and Uninsured Motorist are intended to cover your medical expenses when injured in an accident. You can also maximize the Uninsured Motorist (UM) coverage by purchasing an Umbrella which includes UM. The national average medical cost for non-fatal injury from auto-related accidents is approximately $60,000. I suggest you read your health insurance summary of benefits. Mine was 245 pages so I decided to use the find function on my computer. I was able to quickly find the Auto related limitations.
If your carrier coordinates benefits with Auto Insurance here is how that works. In an auto accident, your auto insurance is primary coverage, any deficit in payment would fall to your Health Carrier. Your Health Carrier would then review what has been paid by the Auto Carrier in order to determine if you have any benefit left. This means that if your Auto Carrier paid the max that your Health Carrier would have been responsible for they could deny any additional payment. Pretty complicated right? Yes, this is why I always recommend that clients carry Uninsured Motorist to eliminate gaps. We are all unfortunately subject to our plan deductibles and limitations. Uninsured Motorist coverage has very few limitations and could make you whole after an accident.
Always read the fine print and get the advice of a licensed agent when deciding what coverage to purchase.