Bridge Michigan: Tweak no-fault reform to help seriously injured Michiganders
MBIPC President Tom Judd penned this guest commentary highlighting the need for an immediate, narrow, and technical legislative fix to help prevent the catastrophic loss of care for thousands of Michiganders relying on specialized rehabilitative services.
Tom writes:
“On July 1, 2021, a new fee schedule will go into effect that slashes reimbursements for many specialized treatments and services by nearly half. This will be devastating for catastrophically injured auto accident victims and the highly trained providers who care for them. This cap on reimbursements also applies to family members who care for patients stable enough to remain at home.
Victims of horrific accidents often have unique needs that may require intensive treatment and services to return them to employment and their normal course of life; others may require specialized care around the clock in order to remain safe, healthy, and productive. Needless to say, these patients will be thrown into chaos if their access to care abruptly comes to an end.
But it’s not just the thousands of accident victims and their families who will pay the price after July 1. When we recently surveyed brain injury providers, nine out of 10 said they had little to no confidence that they would be able to remain in business past July. Nearly 5,000 Michigan jobs are on the line—many in rural areas—in an already shaky pandemic economy.
The good news? A narrow and technical fix is available. And contrary to insurance industry scare tactics, it does not rewrite the entire fee schedule, add costs to the system, or change any other element of no-fault auto reform.
House Bill 4486 and Senate Bill 314, introduced by State Rep. Doug Wozniak and State Sen. Curtis Hertel, Jr., respectively, would enable continued access to care without sacrificing cost controls. The bills are supported by small businesses, the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation, the Michigan Assisted Living Association, and others.”
Read the rest of Tom's guest column here in Bridge Michigan.