Will my medical bills get covered?
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Yes, but only if you elect the optional medical gap coverage before the accident. This coverage pays up to the policy limit for medical costs related to your bike crash, regardless of fault.
It steps in where your health insurance leaves gaps, covering the deductibles, co-pays, and co-insurance you would otherwise pay out of pocket after a crash.
What does medical gap coverage pay for?
The out-of-pocket costs your health plan pushes onto you after a crash: the deductible, co-pays, and co-insurance, up to your policy limit and regardless of who was at fault. That means a hospital bill you would otherwise absorb yourself is paid by the policy instead, up to the selected limit.
Why isn't my health insurance enough?
Health plans today often carry deductibles of $2,500 to $7,500, and many high-deductible plans reach $10,000 or more before they pay anything. Even after you meet the deductible, co-insurance can leave you responsible for 20% to 40% of the bill, so an ER visit, imaging, and follow-up care after a crash land largely on you. Medical gap coverage is built to close exactly that gap.
How much medical gap coverage should I buy?
Match your gap coverage to your health plan's out-of-pocket maximum, not just your deductible. Your out-of-pocket max is the true worst-case number: the most you can legally be required to pay for covered, in-network care before your insurance picks up 100%. For 2026, the ACA caps this at $10,600 for an individual.
Covering only your deductible leaves a hole. Most plans still charge 20% coinsurance after the deductible is met, so a $40,000 collarbone surgery on a $7,500-deductible plan can leave you owing thousands beyond the deductible itself, all the way up to that out-of-pocket max.
A quick way to size it: check your plan's summary of benefits for the individual out-of-pocket maximum and buy gap coverage at or near that amount. For most riders on 2026 marketplace or high-deductible employer plans, that means roughly $7,500 to $10,600. If in doubt, round up rather than down, since out-of-network charges like ground ambulance transport can fall outside your out-of-pocket max entirely.
What if a car hits me?
Injuries from a collision with a hit-and-run, uninsured, or underinsured motorist are handled by a separate coverage, Vehicle Contact Protection, available with a $10,000 or $25,000 limit. Whether you need it depends on your state's uninsured motorist rules, which we cover in do I need Vehicle Contact Protection.
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