FR-44 Medical Payments Coverage in Florida: Optional or Required

Medical Payments coverage (MedPay) pays for medical expenses incurred by you and your passengers after an accident, regardless of fault. It typically appears as a $1,000, $2,500, $5,000, or $10,000 per-person limit on auto insurance quotes. Many carriers bundle MedPay into their standard policy structures, which is why it shows up on FR-44 quotes even though Florida does not require it for FR-44 compliance. Florida's FR-44 filing requirement is strictly a liability certification. The state mandates that you carry 100/300/50 bodily injury and property damage liability limits for three years from your reinstatement date. Your insurer files the FR-44 certificate with the Florida DHSMV to prove you maintain these minimums. MedPay, Personal Injury Protection (PIP), collision, comprehensive, and all other coverage types have no impact on whether your FR-44 filing is accepted or maintained. The confusion arises because Florida also requires all registered vehicles to carry $10,000 in Personal Injury Protection (PIP) under the state's no-fault law. PIP is mandatory for vehicle registration, but it is separate from the FR-44 requirement. MedPay is neither a FR-44 requirement nor a Florida registration requirement — it is purely optional coverage that some carriers include by default or recommend as a supplement to PIP.

Your FR-44 certificate filing is triggered and maintained exclusively by your liability coverage limits. If you drop MedPay from your policy, your insurer will not file a notice of cancellation with the DHSMV as long as your 100/300/50 liability limits remain active. If you add $10,000 in MedPay, your FR-44 status does not improve or accelerate — the three-year clock is unaffected. This distinction matters because FR-44 premiums are already elevated due to the high liability limits and the DUI classification. A standard Florida driver with a clean record might pay $120–$180/month for minimum 10/20/10 liability coverage. A DUI driver required to file FR-44 typically pays $250–$450/month for the mandatory 100/300/50 limits, depending on age, location, and driving history. Adding optional coverages like MedPay increases that monthly cost without contributing to the compliance requirement you must meet. If you are quoted a policy that includes MedPay and you want to reduce your premium, ask the carrier to remove it. Verify that your liability limits remain at 100/300/50 and that your FR-44 filing is not affected. Some carriers allow you to decline MedPay during the quote process; others build it into their base policy and require you to request removal after binding.

MedPay is optional, but it serves a specific function that can be valuable depending on your health insurance situation. If you lack health insurance or carry a high-deductible plan, MedPay provides immediate reimbursement for medical bills after an accident without requiring you to file a claim against the at-fault driver or wait for a settlement. It covers ambulance fees, hospital visits, surgery, dental work, and other medical expenses up to your selected limit. For Florida FR-44 drivers, the typical MedPay premium ranges from $8 to $15 per month for $5,000 in coverage. That translates to $96–$180 annually. If you are already paying $300–$400/month for FR-44 liability coverage, adding MedPay increases your total premium by roughly 3–5%. Whether that cost is justified depends on whether you have alternative health coverage and whether you regularly transport passengers who might benefit from the protection. MedPay also stacks with Florida's mandatory PIP coverage. PIP pays up to $10,000 for medical expenses and lost wages after an accident, regardless of fault, but it is subject to deductibles and copayment percentages depending on your policy structure. MedPay has no deductible and pays immediately up to the policy limit. If you are injured in an accident and your medical bills exceed your PIP limit or if PIP denies certain charges, MedPay can fill the gap. This is most relevant for drivers with chronic health conditions or those who cannot afford out-of-pocket medical costs.

If your FR-44 quote includes MedPay and you want to decline it, contact your agent or carrier before binding the policy. Confirm in writing that removing MedPay will not alter your FR-44 filing status or delay the certificate submission to the Florida DHSMV. The insurer should provide a revised quote showing the updated premium with MedPay removed and the 100/300/50 liability limits intact. If you have already bound the policy and want to remove MedPay after the fact, request a policy endorsement. Most carriers process endorsements within 1–3 business days and issue a pro-rated refund for the unused portion of the MedPay premium. Do not cancel your entire policy to make this change — canceling your FR-44 policy triggers an immediate notice to the DHSMV, which will suspend your license again. Only request the removal of the optional coverage through an endorsement, not a full policy cancellation and rewrite. Verify that your revised policy documents still list the FR-44 filing. Some carriers issue a new FR-44 certificate when a policy is endorsed; others do not. If your original FR-44 certificate was filed electronically with the DHSMV and your liability limits have not changed, no new filing is typically required. If you are unsure, call the Florida DHSMV at 850-617-2000 to confirm that your FR-44 filing remains active and that no lapse has been recorded.

A 35-year-old male driver in Orlando with a DUI conviction requiring FR-44 filing might receive the following quotes from a non-standard carrier for a 2015 Honda Civic: - FR-44 liability only (100/300/50) + mandatory PIP ($10,000): $320/month - FR-44 liability (100/300/50) + mandatory PIP + MedPay ($5,000): $332/month - FR-44 liability (100/300/50) + mandatory PIP + MedPay ($10,000): $340/month Over the required three-year FR-44 filing period, declining MedPay saves $432 at the $5,000 limit or $720 at the $10,000 limit. For a driver facing $11,520 in total premiums over three years (at $320/month), that represents a 3.7% to 6.25% reduction in total cost. Whether that savings is worth forgoing the medical expense coverage depends on your health insurance, passenger exposure, and risk tolerance. If you are required to file FR-44 but do not own a vehicle, you will purchase a non-owner FR-44 policy. Non-owner policies provide liability coverage only and do not include PIP or MedPay because there is no vehicle to insure. MedPay is only available on policies covering a specific vehicle. Non-owner FR-44 premiums are typically lower — $150–$250/month — because they exclude physical damage and medical coverages entirely.

You can modify optional coverages like MedPay, collision, and comprehensive at any time during your three-year FR-44 filing period without affecting your compliance status. The only changes that trigger a DHSMV notification are those that affect your liability limits or result in a full policy cancellation. Reducing your bodily injury coverage below 100/300 or your property damage coverage below 50 will cause your insurer to file a cancellation notice, which will suspend your license. If you switch carriers during your FR-44 period, your new insurer must file a new FR-44 certificate with the DHSMV before your old policy cancels. There can be no gap in coverage. Most carriers recommend binding the new policy at least 5–7 business days before canceling the old one to ensure the new FR-44 filing is processed before the old one is withdrawn. If a lapse occurs, the DHSMV will suspend your license and reset your three-year filing period from the new reinstatement date. Adding MedPay to an existing FR-44 policy does not require a new FR-44 filing because your liability limits remain unchanged. The carrier will issue an endorsement increasing your premium and adding the coverage effective on the requested date. Removing MedPay works the same way — endorsement only, no new filing required. The three-year clock continues uninterrupted as long as your 100/300/50 liability coverage remains active.