Office of Financial and Insurance Regulation Release Tips to Help Residents Save Money

By Cindy Denby

As a member of the House Insurance Committee, I am always looking for ways to help make insurance more affordable for Michigan residents. Recently, the Office of Financial and Insurance Regulation released tips to help residents save money by combining auto and health insurance policies. By coordinating wage loss or disability coverage with your auto and health care policies, there is potential for additional savings. Michigan's no-fault law requires auto insurers to offer a discount on the personal injury protection portion of auto insurance premiums if consumers coordinate health or disability benefits with their automobile insurance policy.

OFIR is encouraging residents to make sure their health coverage and disability or wage loss coverage would provide benefits in the case of an auto-related injury. If policies have been coordinated, the no-fault policy will pay part of your lost wages of medical expenses not paid for through disability or health coverage. Because this would result for smaller claims for auto insurers, the cost for auto insurance can be reduced. 

Drivers should never assume their health insurance will pay for injuries from an auto accident and OFIR encourages residents to review their policies and consider consolidating benefits. For more information on the coordination of benefits, consumers can contact OFIR's toll-free hotline at 877-999-6442.

The Department of Natural Resources is encouraging hunters to apply for bear and elk hunting licenses in Michigan between now and June 1 at www.michigan.gov/huntdrawings  or at any retail license agent. There are 200 elk licenses and 7,991 bear licenses available for the 2012 hunting season. To further increase the chances of getting approved for these licenses, hunters are also encouraged to apply to the 2012 Pure Michigan Hunt. The Pure Michigan Hunt is a drawing for hunt elk, bear, turkey, deer and waterfowl, plus a rifle, a crossbow and other items donated by Michigan companies. Three lucky winners will receive a hunt package that includes a bear and elk license. The cost to enter is $4 and hunters can enter as many times as they choose between now and the end of the year. To apply online go to www.michigan.gov/puremichiganhunt.

If you have any questions or need assistance with any state issues, please contact me toll free at 866-828-4863 or via e-mail at cindydenby@house.mi.gov.