Michigan Attendant Care Benefits – Expanded Overview

Michigan Attendant Care Benefits – Expanded Overview

My name is David Christensen.  I'm a partner in this law firm.  Today I'd like to discuss a benefit with you that's available through Michigan's No‑Fault Act.
When you purchase your automobile insurance, you buy coverage for something called attendant care.  Attendant care is a no‑fault benefit that entitles you to have nursing care while you're at home recovering from your injuries.  For example, if you're in the hospital with a very serious injury and the doctor discharges you home, you may need to have a nurse come by and visit you, to change your bandages, to check on you, run tests, or provide medication.  That is called attendant care.

In many instances, people are discharged home and they don't require the high nursing skill of a registered nurse, but maybe a home health aide can provide all of the care that they need.  If you need a home health aide, you're entitled to purchase those services from a commercial home health company and your insurance company will be required to pay for those bills.

Now, the unique feature of Michigan's No‑Fault Act is that an individual who has a family member or a close friend that is capable of providing the attendant care can have that family member or friend provide the attendant care in their own home.  The courts have ruled that family‑provided care can be much more caring and better care than what you actually buy from a commercial service.

The attendant care benefit requires the no‑fault insurance company to pay your family member or friend for their services at the commercial rate.  In other words, the law does not give the insurance company a discount just because you are fortunate enough to have a family member or friend that is in a position that they can take care of you.

The important fact that everybody needs to know about attendant care is that it's available.  That's something the insurance companies usually do not tell you until you make your claim.

It is important to keep a very close, well‑documented record of all of the services and hours that care was provided and those can be turned into the insurance company every month and then payment should be forthcoming.  Of course, it is necessary to have a doctor's prescription for the attendant care.