PLCaliforniamedium
Under Cal. Ins. Code § 11580.6, Medical Payments coverage on a California private passenger auto policy is best characterized as:
AA compulsory first-party coverage required at a statutory minimum limit of $5,000 per person on every California private passenger auto policy, regardless of the insured's election
BA no-fault personal injury protection coverage that displaces tort liability for medical bills up to the per-person limit the insured chooses to purchase
CA subrogation-only coverage that is reimbursable to the insurer solely out of the at-fault driver's bodily-injury liability limits after recovery
An optional first-party coverage available to pay reasonable medical expenses of the named insured, family members, and passengers regardless of fault
Why this is the answer
California is a TORT/at-fault auto state — there is no statutory PIP. Cal. Ins. Code § 11580.6 simply authorizes Medical Payments as an optional first-party coverage that, when purchased, pays reasonable and necessary medical expenses incurred by the named insured, resident family members, and other persons occupying the covered auto with permission, regardless of who caused the accident. There is no compulsory Med Pay floor, no displacement of tort liability, and the coverage stands separate from the BI/PD compulsory minimums.
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