Part B: Medical Payments
Key Takeaways
- Part B pays reasonable medical and funeral expenses from an auto accident on a no-fault, first-party basis within a set period.
- Family members are covered in any auto and as pedestrians; other persons are covered only while occupying your covered auto.
- Part B does not pay lost wages, pain and suffering, or property damage.
- Exclusions include two-wheeled vehicles, livery/for-hire use, lack of permission, and racing.
Part B: Medical Payments Coverage
Part B (Medical Payments) pays reasonable and necessary medical and funeral expenses for bodily injury caused by an auto accident, regardless of fault, incurred within a stated period (commonly three years) from the accident. It is a first-party coverage: it pays the insured's and certain occupants' medical bills directly, without anyone proving who caused the crash. Because Ohio is an at-fault state, Part B is optional but valuable, filling the gap before a liability or health insurer responds.
Who Is Covered Under Part B
| Insured status | When Part B applies |
|---|---|
| You and family members | Injured while occupying any auto, or as a pedestrian struck by an auto |
| Any other person | Only while occupying your covered auto |
The named insured and resident family members are covered for injuries sustained while occupying any auto, and even as pedestrians struck by a motor vehicle. Other people, such as passengers or borrowers, are covered only while occupying your covered auto. This two-tier structure parallels Part A and is tested the same way: family members carry coverage with them, others are covered only in your car.
What Part B Pays
Part B pays reasonable medical and funeral expenses up to its per-person limit, which is typically modest (for example, $1,000 to $10,000 per person). It pays on a no-fault basis, so an injured insured collects regardless of who was at fault, and it does not reduce because the insured also has health insurance, though coordination and subrogation rules can prevent double recovery. It does not pay for lost wages, pain and suffering, or property damage, those belong to liability (Part A) or first-party economic-loss coverages where available.
Key Exclusions
Part B excludes injuries:
- While occupying a vehicle with fewer than four wheels (such as a motorcycle) unless endorsed
- While the auto is used as a public or livery conveyance (taxi, ride-share for hire), with carve-backs for share-the-expense carpools
- Sustained while using a vehicle without a reasonable belief of permission
- Occurring during business use of certain vehicles or while the auto is used in the auto business
- Arising from war, nuclear, or racing activities
How the Exam Tests Part B
Med-pay questions usually turn on two facts: whether the injured person is a family member (covered in any auto and as a pedestrian) or another occupant (covered only in your covered auto), and whether an exclusion such as livery use or a two-wheeled vehicle applies. A common item describes a family member injured as a pedestrian, which Part B covers, contrasted with a passenger in a friend's car, which the family member's own Part B may also cover, while a paying ride-share passenger is excluded as livery.
Because Part B is no-fault and first-party, the answer never depends on who caused the accident, only on the status of the injured person and the use of the vehicle, which is the distinction the exam wants you to apply.
A resident family member is struck by a car while walking across a parking lot. Does the family's PAP Part B respond?
Which feature distinguishes Part B medical payments from Part A liability?
When Part B Responds
Part B medical payments is a first-party, no-fault coverage, so the answer never depends on who caused the crash, only on the status of the injured person and the use of the vehicle. Resident family members are covered for auto-accident injuries while occupying any auto and even as pedestrians struck by a vehicle. Other persons are covered only while occupying your covered auto. This two-tier rule parallels Part A and is the key to most med-pay questions.
Part B pays reasonable medical and funeral expenses up to a modest per-person limit within a stated period (often three years). It does not pay lost wages, pain and suffering, or property damage, those belong to liability or other coverages. Because Ohio is an at-fault state, Part B is optional but useful, filling the gap before liability or health coverage responds.
| Injured person | Part B coverage |
|---|---|
| Family member in any auto | Yes |
| Family member as pedestrian | Yes |
| Other passenger in your covered auto | Yes |
| Other person in a non-owned auto | No |
The exclusions are the second variable. Part B excludes injuries while occupying a vehicle with fewer than four wheels (a motorcycle), while the auto is used as a public or livery conveyance (with a carve-back for share-the-expense carpools), while using a vehicle without a reasonable belief of permission, and during racing. A paying ride-share passenger is excluded as livery, while a share-the-expense carpool rider is not.
When a med-pay scenario appears, identify the injured person's status, confirm the vehicle's use is not excluded, and apply the per-person limit, ignoring fault entirely.
Part B is first-party and no-fault, so the answer never depends on who caused the crash, only on the injured person's status and the vehicle's use. Resident family members are covered in any auto and even as pedestrians struck by a vehicle, while other persons are covered only while occupying your covered auto. Part B pays reasonable medical and funeral expenses up to a modest per-person limit and does not pay lost wages, pain and suffering, or property damage. A paying ride-share passenger is excluded as livery, while a share-the-expense carpool rider is carved back into coverage.