Survey respondents want to preserve ‘full injury and rehabilitation benefits’ for seriously injured auto accident victims
Michigan residents “support the full injury and rehabilitation benefits provided to accident survivors under Michigan’s (No-Fault) auto insurance system,” according to a press release from Truscott Rossman on behalf of the Brain Injury Association of Michigan (BIAMI) and the Coalition Protecting Auto No-Fault (CPAN).
The press release touted the results of a survey sponsored by the Brain Injury Association of Michigan and conducted by Denno Research.
The survey was conducted to measure public support for Michigan’s No-Fault System and its 40-year-old guarantee of unlimited, lifetime medical benefits for seriously injured auto accident victims, so long as the medical benefits are reasonably necessary to the victims’ care, recovery and rehabilitation.
The No-Fault system has been under attack — particularly the guarantee of unlimited, lifetime medical benefits — since September 2011, when Michigan Republican lawmakers introduced House Bill 4936, which “proposed cuts to Michigan auto no-fault insurance benefits and … [imposing] government price controls on health care providers.”
“‘Michigan politicians have a very clear take away from this survey as they head into the final weeks of the legislative session,’” said Michael Dabbs, president of BIAMI, in the press release. “‘Don’t mess with Michigan’s no-fault insurance benefits!’”
Noting that 86 percent of survey respondents favored preserving Michigan’s current system of the No-Fault benefits, Mr. Dabbs stated:
“‘Insurance companies have asked lawmakers to drastically alter our auto insurance system in such a way that will shift millions in health care costs for accident survivors onto state taxpayers, cost hospitals tens of millions each year and lead to a loss of jobs in the health care and rehabilitation fields.’”
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“‘Their entire justification for these draconian changes is the financial stability of an organization whose records are completely closed off to public scrutiny. As this survey shows, voters want to see solid proof before you take away their injury benefits.’”
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Finally, when it came down to dollars and cents, Dabbs made the important point that the so-called No Fault “reform” (as set forth in HB 4936) that Republicans and the auto insurance industry want to foist on Michigan drivers makes no sense, because it does not provide any dollars in savings.
Dabbs emphasized “that insurance industry representatives testified to the House Insurance Committee that the proposed changes to Michigan’s no-fault system included in HB 4936 will not save drivers on their premiums.”
