Mackinac attendees urged to consider how No-Fault reform will extend hardships faced by catastrophically injured accident victims

Hoste: Lawmakers must find ways to mitigate the damage SB 1 will cause in their districts

BRIGHTON, Mich.—(May 29, 2019)—As lawmakers meet this week at the annual Mackinac Policy Conference, the Michigan Brain Injury Provider Council (MBIPC) is calling on them to find ways to mitigate the devastating impact that no-fault legislation passed last week will have on their constituents.

SB 1, which was passed by the Senate and House of Representatives and now sits on the desk of Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, will devastate care for catastrophically injured accident victims and is likely to cost thousands of jobs statewide, MBIPC President Tim Hoste said.

“In their rush to declare a political victory, legislators have completely overlooked the welfare of their most vulnerable constituents,” Hoste said. “Individuals with severe brain injuries will be forced to go without specialized treatment and will have limited options. By eliminating critical rehabilitation and care, the state government is dooming them to poor alternatives that will constrain their full recovery and extend their hardships throughout their lifetime.”

In addition, the financial and job-loss impact this legislation will have on local communities is tremendous. Direct post-acute care positions that will likely be affected include residential/group home jobs, home care services, vocational rehabilitation, day programing, transportation, pharmacy, physical therapy, occupational therapy, durable medical equipment, professional guardians, case managers, counselors, and psychologists.

Hoste added that the fee schedule approved in the legislation (for services not on the Medicare fee schedule) benefits the companies that were not acting to the highest ethical standards – the reason MBIPC has long fought for a fair and affordable overhaul of no-fault that roots out fraud from all parties in the system.

“Over the past few years, MBIPC has offered to work with legislators on a fair and reasonable fee schedule that would have led to real cost containment and long-term savings,” Hoste said. “Instead, this fee schedule seems completely arbitrary and will eliminate care for those who need it most.”

Providers who operated with integrity and only charged reasonable and customary rates are greatly punished by having to cut almost 50 percent of their rates, Hoste said. Conversely, those companies that charged outrageous rates are at an advantage because the almost 50 percent rate cut will not hit them as hard as it will providers who played by the rules.

“As passed, this fee schedule will force honest, quality providers out of business,” Hoste said. “We urge lawmakers to take these problems into consideration as they meet this week in Mackinac.”

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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.

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Rose Tantraphol
Moonsail North
rose@moonsailnorth.com
517.775.2152