Help from Faith leaders and religious organizations is desperately needed!
Michigan citizen survivors from auto crash injuries desperately need the help of faith communities and organizations. Survivors who are brain injured, quadriplegic, paraplegic and those enduring other horrific injuries are suffering due to the changes in the auto no fault law. There are approximately 18,000 injured citizens who are suffering. These people require 24/7 care. They are not getting the care needed due to the inhumane changes to the auto no fault law.
In 2019 Michigan’s Auto No-Fault Insurance Law was revised by legislative action and Governor approval. The legislative changes are vast, initiated by insurance companies without public hearing. Two of these changes went into effect July 1, 2021 and are causing suffering and hardship for Michigan citizens that have been catastrophically injured in auto accidents (prior to the law changes) These people require many health care services for daily living and rehabilitation.
The two changes that went into effect July 1, 2021 are: 1) major fee reductions for health care providers who were rendering treatments to catastrophically injured survivors. These fee reductions are excessive and are 45% less than the fees that were allowed and paid before July 1; and 2) attendant care limitations that restrict payments for attendant care provided in the survivor’s home. Payments are now capped at 56 hours per week.
The results of these two changes have caused catastrophically injured auto crash survivors to lose their home care attendants and healthcare provided rehabilitation services. Many providers have gone out of business because of the large reduction in fees allowed by insurance companies.
There have been bills submitted to address the 7/1/21 reductions. But insurance companies and key the Michigan Republican legislators are keeping submitted bills in committee. The bills have not even been considered by the Legislature. This is immoral.
Several people of faith are working to create an interfaith coalition. The primary responsibility of the interfaith coalition will be to focus attention on the moral responsibility of elected legislators and to ensure respect for the dignity of these catastrophically injured, suffering survivors. We will advocate for removal of the 56 hour cap for care, and the restoration of 2020 fee for healthcare workers.
Can we count on you to provide this information to the religious leader with whom you are affiliated or your organization’s leadership? If they are interested in learning more, please reach out to the coalition’s organizer, Bonnie Anderson, former president of the House of Deputies of the Episcopal Church.
To help faith leaders take action, the Michigan Interfaith Coalition has launched a website to help coordinate efforts to fix the humanitarian crisis caused by Michigan’s auto no-fault insurance reform.
Found at michiganinterfaithcoalition.org, the site features an overview of our objectives, a way to get in touch, and resources for families and care providers. We also plan to showcase stories of injured persons and providers, and of how a government-mandated price fix has destroyed the care industry for thousands of severely injured Michiganders.
