Part of the 2019 Auto Reform Bill has been ruled unconstitutional by the Michigan Supreme Court. The bill reduced catastrophic care reimbursements, cutting benefits for 18,000 patients.
It’s the corner of the auto insurance repeal we’ve heard so much about over the past four years.
So many severely injured people needing constant medical care either had less of that or lost it entirely when their provider went out of business.
It was all smiles four years ago on Mackinac Island when the Michigan Legislature and Governor Gretchen Whitmer came together to reduce auto insurance premiums.
Read: 25 years since Red Wings limo crash, former players reflect on tragic night
But the bill hasn’t entirely passed muster with the Supreme Court or even drivers as costs are still high and going up, and now the cornerstone of reducing catastrophic care costs for those injured prior to July of 2019 has upended.
Former Detroit Red Wings legend Vladimir Konstantinov was affected by the decision.
Barry Cargill of the Homecare and Hospice Association called it an important ruling for him and thousands more.
“It certainly is a big day for the homecare providers out there, the medical providers who provide essential services to these catastrophically injured patients, but the real victory is for the catastrophically injured,” said Cargill.
“It’s been devastating, financially, emotionally, it’s been mentally draining,” said Chalisse Wilson.
He’s on a ventilator and needs 24-hour care. Some of which he’s had to go without, causing Chalisse to have to pick up a lot of the slack.
She is overjoyed at the Supreme Court’s ruling.
“There is no longer the worry that the home care agency may call me at any day and say we can’t continue to do this because we can’t sustain it,” Chalisse said. “It means the world.”
The Insurance Alliance of Michigan had a vastly different take in a statement that said:
“Today, the court let down consumers across Michigan and opened the floodgates for overcharging for medical procedures and higher rates. You can’t reasonably expect to save Michigan drivers money while obliterating a key cost-control measure like the fee schedule. What medical providers charge for services and prescribe for care, above and beyond what’s medically necessary, can be controlled and has proven to reduce the cost of auto insurance.”