Inaction from the Michigan House of Representatives Means the Crisis in Care for Crash Survivors Will Continue Into 2024
Judd: We remain confident that this sad chapter will end
BRIGHTON, Mich.—(Nov. 10, 2023)— With the announcement that the Michigan Legislature will not be holding any more session days in 2023, the Michigan Brain Injury Provider Council today thanked lawmakers who advocated for a fix to Michigan’s auto insurance law and stressed the need for an urgent fix when the Legislature returns in January.
“MBIPC and its collaborative partners seeking an end to the Crisis in Care celebrated the Senate passage of SB 530, 531 and 575 and continue to appreciate the efforts of bill sponsors Senators Mary Cavanagh, Sarah Anthony, and Jeremy Moss,” said Tom Judd, MBIPC executive director. “Unfortunately, the hope and optimism that accompanied the Senate’s actions have been diminished with the inaction in the House before the early adjournment of this session.”
Judd noted that for over two years, crash survivors, their family members and support systems, providers of essential rehabilitation services and care, and disability advocates at the state and federal levels have pleaded for a narrow fix to the auto no-fault reform law so that crash victims have access to the care they need.
“It is a hard pill to swallow for all these stakeholders to hear that they need to wait further while reasonable solutions are available,” Judd said. “However, we remain confident in the leadership of House Insurance Committee Chair Brenda Carter and trust her sentiments that ‘access to care is important’ and her commitment to achieving ‘long-term solutions’ that will lead to a sustainable system. The Senate bill package currently in her committee would accomplish these ends.”
Judd stressed that the Legislature has the power and responsibility to move swiftly to ensure people have access to the benefits they are paying for with their auto insurance premiums – especially those who are making informed choices to purchase lifetime coverage and sustain catastrophic injuries.
“In 2019, the legislature and governor valued personal choice,” he said. “By not correcting the barriers to access to care, they are actively allowing auto insurance policies to be sold that cannot deliver on lifetime care they promise because the reimbursement level is less than the cost of care for the specialized rehabilitation and necessary care.”
Judd said that the House of Representatives needs to act with urgency when they return in January and deliver the solutions of SB 530, 531 and 575 to Governor Gretchen Whitmer.
“Chair Carter has pledged her commitment to solving these problems,” he said. “We look forward to fair and balanced hearings in her committee and the opportunity for our elected officials to end this sad chapter in Michigan history.”
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Members of the Michigan Brain Injury Provider Council are committed to providing high quality, ethical rehabilitation services, with the mission of achieving the best outcomes for patients. As a trade association established in 1987 and based in Brighton, Michigan, MBIPC offers resource-sharing, information exchange, professional development and education, advocacy for brain injury standards of care and legislation protecting Michigan families, and the promotion of ethical conduct.