Medical Payments Coverage — Colorado
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Colorado Does Not Require Medical Payments Coverage
Colorado does not mandate medical payments coverage on your auto insurance policy. The state requires only liability insurance: $25,000 per person for bodily injury, $50,000 per accident, and $15,000 for property damage. Medical payments coverage — commonly called MedPay — is optional.
This matters for households insuring multiple vehicles because MedPay is a per-vehicle coverage. If you add it to one car, you choose whether to add it to every car on your policy. Understanding what MedPay actually does, and how it differs from the liability coverage Colorado requires, helps you decide whether to carry it across your household's cars or skip it entirely.
“MedPay pays your own medical bills regardless of fault; liability coverage pays the other driver's bills when you cause the accident.”
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Colorado Minimum Liability Limits
Colorado requires $25,000 per person for bodily injury, $50,000 per accident, and $15,000 for property damage. These limits cover injuries and damage you cause to others, not your own medical bills.
Colorado Division of Motor Vehicles, Compulsory Insurance Law C.R.S. 42-4-1409
What Medical Payments Coverage Actually Covers
Medical payments coverage pays for medical expenses incurred by you and your passengers after an accident, regardless of who caused it.
MedPay is first-party coverage: it pays your own bills, not the other driver's. Colorado's required liability coverage works the opposite way — it pays for injuries and damage you cause to others. If you cause an accident and injure yourself, your liability coverage does not pay your medical bills. MedPay does.
Because MedPay pays regardless of fault, it covers you even when the other driver caused the accident. You file a MedPay claim with your own carrier immediately after the accident, without waiting to establish fault or negotiate with the other driver's insurer. This makes MedPay useful for households that want immediate medical coverage without the delay of a liability claim.
Colorado does not require personal injury protection (PIP), so MedPay is the only first-party medical coverage available to Colorado drivers who want injury protection on their own policy.
When Households Skip MedPay and When They Add It
Households with strong health insurance coverage across every driver often skip MedPay. If every household member has a health plan with a low deductible and manageable copays, adding MedPay to every car may cost more in annual premium than the coverage would ever pay out. The premium for MedPay varies by limit and carrier, but it is typically a small addition per vehicle.
Households add MedPay when health insurance has gaps: high deductibles, no coverage for certain family members, or plans that exclude auto-accident injuries until fault is determined. MedPay also covers passengers who may not have health insurance at all. If you regularly drive household members, coworkers, or friends who lack health coverage, MedPay pays their medical bills up to the limit without requiring them to file against your liability coverage.
Some households add MedPay to one or two cars rather than all of them. This approach balances coverage with cost, targeting MedPay to the cars most likely to be in an accident.
19.7%
Colorado Uninsured Motorist Rate
Nearly one in five Colorado drivers carries no insurance. When an uninsured driver causes an accident, your liability coverage does not help you — only first-party coverages like MedPay and uninsured motorist coverage respond.
Insurance Research Council, 2023
MedPay Does Not Replace Uninsured Motorist Coverage
Colorado does not require uninsured motorist coverage, but many households add it alongside or instead of MedPay. Uninsured motorist bodily injury coverage pays for your injuries when an uninsured or underinsured driver causes an accident. MedPay pays regardless of who caused the accident, but only up to a small per-person limit. Uninsured motorist coverage pays only when the other driver is at fault and lacks adequate insurance, but it typically carries much higher limits — matching your liability limits or higher.
For households insuring multiple vehicles, the decision is not MedPay versus uninsured motorist — you can carry both, or neither, or one without the other. MedPay provides immediate small-dollar medical coverage for any accident. Uninsured motorist coverage provides large-dollar protection when the other driver caused the accident and cannot pay. Households concerned about Colorado's high uninsured rate often add uninsured motorist coverage to every car, then decide whether to add MedPay on top of it based on health insurance gaps.
Compare Carriers That Write MedPay in Colorado
Not every carrier prices MedPay the same way, and not every carrier offers the same limits. When you add MedPay to multiple vehicles, the per-vehicle premium multiplies across your policy. Comparing carriers that write MedPay in Colorado shows you the cost difference for the same limits across your household's cars. Carriers writing auto insurance in Colorado include State Farm, Geico, Progressive, Allstate, Farmers, USAA, Travelers, and others. Each prices MedPay differently based on your household's driving history, the vehicles you insure, and the limits you select.
Request quotes with and without MedPay on each vehicle to see the actual cost difference. Others find the premium exceeds the likely payout and skip it. The comparison is specific to your household's health coverage, vehicle count, and driving patterns — there is no universal right answer.
How MedPay Works Across Multiple Vehicles
An accident in the third car triggers no MedPay claim. Some households add MedPay only to the cars driven most often or by drivers with higher injury risk — a teenager's car, a commuter vehicle, or a car driven by a household member with health insurance gaps.
MedPay stacks with health insurance. If you have health insurance, MedPay pays first up to its limit, then your health insurer covers the remainder subject to your health plan's deductible and copays. For households where every driver has comprehensive health coverage, MedPay may be redundant. For households with high-deductible health plans, MedPay can cover the gap between the accident and the health plan's deductible kicking in.
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Get My Colorado Car Insurance QuoteFrequently Asked Questions
Does Colorado require medical payments coverage on auto insurance?
No. Colorado does not require medical payments coverage. The state mandates only liability insurance: $25,000 per person for bodily injury, $50,000 per accident, and $15,000 for property damage. MedPay is optional.
What does medical payments coverage pay for in Colorado?
Medical payments coverage pays for medical expenses incurred by you and your passengers after an accident, regardless of who caused it. MedPay covers hospital bills, ambulance fees, surgery, X-rays, and follow-up care up to the policy limit you select.
Do I need MedPay if I have health insurance?
Not necessarily. MedPay stacks with health insurance — it pays first up to its limit, then your health insurer covers the remainder. If you have comprehensive health coverage with a low deductible, MedPay may be redundant. If you have a high-deductible health plan, MedPay can cover the gap.
Can I add MedPay to some cars on my policy but not others?
Yes. MedPay is a per-vehicle coverage. You select a limit for each car individually. Many households add MedPay only to the cars driven most often or by drivers with higher injury risk.
How does MedPay differ from uninsured motorist coverage in Colorado?
MedPay pays for your medical bills regardless of who caused the accident, up to a small per-person limit. Uninsured motorist coverage pays for your injuries only when an uninsured or underinsured driver causes the accident, but it carries much higher limits. You can carry both, or neither, or one without the other.
What MedPay limits are available in Colorado?
The limit you select applies per accident, per person covered under the policy.