Fight to lower car insurance costs in Michigan must continue

Another painful reminder that we must reform Michigan’s car insurance system will soon be reflected on our bills.

The mandatory annual fee we pay to cover catastrophic medical claims through our car insurance will rise to $192 per vehicle on July 1 – a 13-percent increase underscoring everything that’s wrong with Michigan’s out-of-whack system.

Michigan is the only state in the nation mandating that motorists buy unlimited health care coverage through their car insurance. It’s the primary reason our average car insurance premium – nearly $2,400 per year – is highest in the nation, more than $1,000 above the national average and twice as high as in some neighboring states.

Nothing stops medical providers from charging three or four times more for an MRI if the patient happens to be an auto accident victim. Trial lawyers also love our current system because they can clog our courtrooms with injury cases and line their pockets with hefty percentages of settlement payments.

Special interests cash in on a system rigged against Michigan drivers.

Enough is enough. Changing this system is a top priority of mine as your representative in the Michigan House. Offering choice in medical coverage options is a starting point for any legitimate reform plan.

As we have seen, the special interests profiting from the ridiculously high premiums you are forced to pay don’t want change. But I am committed to fighting them and bringing some sanity to car insurance rates in Michigan.