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  1. #1
    Senior Member HAPPY2BME's Avatar
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    Illegal immigrants, drunk drivers and felons wouldn't get injury coverage under propo

    Illegal immigrants, drunk drivers and felons wouldn't get injury coverage under proposed auto insurance reform

    mlive.com
    Published: Friday, May 25, 2012
    By Melissa Anders


    In this May 10 file photo, Davison Township police officer
    Philip Yurk runs onto a mock crash scene at Davison High School.
    Drunk drivers injured in a crash would not be eligible for personal
    injury protection benefits under proposed legislation.

    LANSING, MI — Illegal immigrants and people who commit certain crimes would be banned from receiving personal injury protection benefits if they’re hurt in a car crash under legislation introduced by House Republicans.

    Personal injury protection, or PIP, is part of Michigan’s required no-fault auto insurance policy that covers all medical costs associated with a vehicle accident injury. PIP pays up to 85 percent of the income lost as a result of the injury for up to three years, with a maximum of about $5,100 per month. It also covers up to $20 per day for household services like yard work that the person can no longer handle on their own.

    House Bills 4993 and 5587-5589 would exempt certain groups from receiving those benefits, even if they have PIP coverage on their auto insurance.

    According to a House Fiscal Agency analysis, that includes someone who:


    • Is not authorized under federal law to be present in the United States
    • Used a vehicle in the commission of a crime or fleeing from a crime that’s punishable by more than one year in prison
    • Operated a vehicle or motorcycle while intoxicated, visibly impaired or with any amount of a controlled substance in his or her body
    • Was a passenger in a vehicle that was taken unlawfully, if the person knew or had reason to believe that the motor vehicle or motorcycle was unlawfully taken (The driver in such an instance is already exempt from PIP benefits.)


    “Michigan motorists cannot afford to subsidize costs of injuries of those committing felonious activities… (they) should not be entitled to Michigan’s generous PIP benefits,” Cindy Denby, R-Handy Township, said during a committee hearing this week. Denby sponsored HB 5587, which denies coverage for people injured in a crash while committing a felony.

    Michigan auto insurers paid out more than $2 billion in PIP claims in 2011, according to the state Office of Financial and Insurance Regulation.

    The average cost of personal injury claims has more than quadrupled in the last two decades, going from $8,365 per claim in 1991 to $36,229 in 2011, according to the National Independent Statistical Service.
    About 41 percent of Michigan premiums went toward PIP coverage in 2010, up from about 27 percent in 2002, according to the National Association of Insurance Commissioners.

    Lawmakers have been considering reforming the no-fault system to allow consumers to choose different levels of PIP coverage.

    Rep. Margaret O'Brien, R-Portage, said her constituents are “mad as hornets” about the rising costs for personal injury protection. She sponsored HB 5588, which deals with people who were injured while operating under the influence.

    She said she’s not sure how much PIP costs would be reduced. The real point of the bill, she said, was to prevent people who break the law from receiving the benefits.

    Opponents of the legislation say it would simply shift costs to health care providers, health insurance policy holders and Medicaid.

    “This is a very bad idea economically for Michigan,” said John Prosser II, vice president at Health Partners Inc., a Southfield-based home health care provider that serves patients with catastrophic injuries.

    “Compassion matters as well,” he said. “They have already been punished by the accident and by their injury.”
    Grand Rapids attorney Richard Kessler, member of the American Immigration Lawyers Association, testified against HB 4993, which exempts illegal immigrants from receiving PIP benefits.

    Kessler said he understands the correlation between accidents that occur while someone is driving under the influence, but he doesn’t understand why someone’s immigration status would prevent them from receiving PIP benefits.

    “We’re singling people out and denying them coverage for something that’s not related at all to the driving issue,” he said.

    The state Office of Financial and Insurance Regulations has taken a neutral stance on the bills.

    The House Insurance Committee did not vote on the bills and will likely continue testimony at a later date.
    Chairman Pete Lund, R-Shelby Township, said the bills still need some work.

    Illegal immigrants, drunk drivers and felons wouldn't get injury coverage under proposed auto insurance reform | MLive.com
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  2. #2
    Senior Member nomas's Avatar
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    “Compassion matters as well,” he said. “They have already been punished by the accident and by their injury.”
    Grand Rapids attorney Richard Kessler, member of the American Immigration Lawyers Association, testified against HB 4993, which exempts illegal immigrants from receiving PIP benefits.

    Kessler said he understands the correlation between accidents that occur while someone is driving under the influence, but he doesn’t understand why someone’s immigration status would prevent them from receiving PIP benefits.

    “We’re singling people out and denying them coverage for something that’s not related at all to the driving issue,” he said.
    Jeez, buddy... in what world do YOU live in? Explain to me why the LEGAL driver is left to their own devices when the illegal one benefits? OUR insurance bills GROW every year while the illegals have no license therefor no insurance! WHO takes care of the legal driver? They certainly can't collect from the "poor illegal".

    How about showing compassion for your fellow AMERICAN citizens? We are already forced to pay our tax dollars to illegals that we shouldn't have to! These people need JAIL time for the damage they do, and then IMMEDIATE deportation.
    Last edited by nomas; 05-26-2012 at 09:00 AM. Reason: spelling

  3. #3
    Senior Member HAPPY2BME's Avatar
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    Should illegal immigrants, drunk drivers or felons in car crashes have injuries covered by insurance?

    mlive.com
    Published: Saturday, May 26, 2012, 7:00 PM
    Melissa Anders

    Should illegal immigrants, drunk drivers or felons in car crashes have injuries covered by insurance?

    Yes, why decimate their families and force them on Medicaid?

    No, they made bad choices and deserve to pay for their recovery

    LANSING, MI — Proposed auto reform legislation that would ban certain people from receiving personal injury protection benefits if they’re hurt in a car crash is raising some skepticism.
    Michigan’s required no-fault auto insurance policy includes personal injury protection that covers all medical costs associated with a vehicle accident injury along with a portion of lost wages as a result of the injury.

    But if you were committing or fleeing certain crimes or driving while under the influence when the crash occurred, you wouldn't be covered under legislation proposed by House Republicans. Immigrants in the country illegally also wouldn't be covered.

    Some readers argue the bills would help insurance companies while hurting taxpayers.


    CitizenXGen
    :
    Another smoke a mirror tactic to stick it to the “presumed bad guys” so the insurance companies can circumvent more money into their pockets. This is the most absurd proposal I have ever heard of. Common sense should render a landslide decision to shoot this ridiculous piece of legislation down.

    jim's concerns echoed those of health care providers, who testified against the bill this week.
    Not a smart move fiscally. So when these undesirable individuals get injured in an automobile accident and their insurance get a free pass (collecting premiums yet not required to pay) who pays for that medical treatment? Us taxpayers do. Medicare and medicaid. Taxpayer funded programs bail out the insurance industry...again.

    notliberal says it's not fair to those who are injured and pay for coverage:
    This is ridiculous. If a car is insured, be it by a drunk or by an illegal, then they should get the benefits they paid for. It is absurd to eliminate paid for coverage to suit a political end. I suppose it's one thing to ban insurers from selling insurance to illegals. But preventing drunks from receiving the coverage they paid for is ridiculous.

    While most of the readers who commented spoke out against the bills, some saw merits:
    gbminard
    Convicted felons lose their right to vote and own firearms. Why would you want to insurance coverage to cover incidences when someone is committing a felony? Doesn't make any sense, does it?
    beretta92fs agreed:
    You're right gbminard ... If they're doing something illegal or if they're here in the country illegally, too bad, i don't feel sorry for them.

    Should illegal immigrants, drunk drivers or felons in car crashes have injuries covered by insurance? | MLive.com
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  4. #4
    Senior Member HAPPY2BME's Avatar
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