Please use the sample message below to CALL and WRITE your state lawmakers to urge them to vote no on a controversial lame duck bill that auto insurers are attempting to push through the state capitol in the last few days of the legislative session.
Call your state representative at: 517-373-0135
Call your state senator at: 517-373-2400
I am writing to urge you to vote no on the proposed last-minute draconian changes to Michigan’s no-fault auto insurance system. The bill that was just introduced will significantly harm Michigan’s most seriously injured accident victims and only benefit insurance companies.
Here’s why this bill is wrong for Michigan:
A $400,000 cap on claims handled by the Michigan Assigned Claims Plan and certain injury claims resulting from out-of-state accidents harms the most vulnerable and seriously injured accident survivors. Severe auto injuries can cost hundreds of thousands in the first week alone. And just because the injury benefit is capped doesn’t mean the need for care will go away. Eventually, our most seriously injured people will end up relying on government-funded programs like Medicaid.Previous studies have shown that capping injury benefits will shift millions of dollars in costs from insurance providers onto the backs of taxpayers.
The bill makes draconian cuts to family provided attendant care that will harm Michigan’s most seriously injured accident victims. The family-provided attendant model is cost-effective and allows injured person to receive care from those who know the person the best and care about the person the most. he hourly rate cap will cause many families to hire commercial nursing care, which is significantly more expensive for the no-fault insurers than paying family or household members to provide noncommercial care.
In addition, catastrophically injured people often require 24 hour attendant care and sometimes a cumulative total amount of daily care beyond 24 hours.Under this bill, care will be capped at 56 hours PER WEEK! The only way these injured people can receive payment for attendant care is by going through the undefined and unexplained “medical review” process, which creates enormous uncertainty regarding whether they will be able to receive the amount of care that they require.
This bill creates a biased and weak Fraud Authority. While reducing fraud is an important part of fixing Michigan’s no-fault system, we need a balanced fraud authority. Insurance companies regularly and knowingly deny legitimate insurance claims. This is equally fraudulent activity. Michigan needs a balanced fraud authority with representation from the health care provider community. In addition, the Fraud Authority proposed in the bill has no actual power. We need a Fraud Authority to conduct true criminal investigations regarding actual acts of fraud.
This bill puts insurance company profits over actual people. Nothing in this bill guarantees reduced rates for drivers. These changes are only benefitting auto insurance companies’ bottom lines at the expense of accident survivors and health care providers.
We need balanced and fair reform that protects Michigan’s most catastrophically injured accident survivors. This bill is NOT the solution. I urge you to vote no and instead work on reasonable reforms that benefit all sides – accident survivors, health care providers, drivers and insurance companies.
