2015 Senate Bill 248

Expand auto theft authority; limit injured motorist hospital prices

Introduced in the Senate

March 26, 2015

Introduced by Sen. Joe Hune (R-22)

To replace the Michigan Catastrophic Claims Association (MCCA) with a new state authority that would provide reinsurance to individual auto insurance companies for personal injury claim amounts that exceed above $545,000 per incident. The MCCA is a private entity created by the original no-fault law, which also mandated that all drivers have unlimited personal injury protection coverage (PIP). The bill would also place price controls on attendant care and other medical services provided to injured individuals under this PIP, and expand the duties of a state automobile theft prevention authority to include insurance fraud related PIP benefits, paid for by $21 million in assessments (taxes) on insurers.

Referred to the Committee on Insurance

April 16, 2015

Reported without amendment

With the recommendation that the substitute (S-2) be adopted and that the bill then pass.

Amendment offered by Sen. Coleman Young (D-1)

To mandate that auto insurance companies cut their priced by at least 20 percent.

The amendment failed 12 to 26 (details)

Amendment offered by Sen. Coleman Young (D-1)

To mandate that auto insurance companies cut their priced by at least 40 percent.

The amendment failed 8 to 28 (details)

Amendment offered by Sen. Coleman Young (D-1)

To mandate that auto insurance companies cut their priced by at least 30 percent.

The amendment failed 11 to 27 (details)

Amendment offered by Sen. Coleman Young (D-1)

To mandate that auto insurance companies cut their priced by at least 20 percent.

The amendment failed 13 to 25 (details)

Amendment offered by Sen. Coleman Young (D-1)

To mandate that auto insurance companies cut their priced by at least 10 percent.

The amendment failed 13 to 25 (details)

Amendment offered by Sen. Coleman Young (D-1)

To mandate that auto insurance companies cut their priced by at least 5 percent.

The amendment failed 17 to 21 (details)

Amendment offered by Sen. Steve Bieda (D-9)

To prohibit insurers from spending more than 15 percent of the personal injury coverage premium revenue on expenses that are not insurance claims.

The amendment failed 13 to 25 (details)

Amendment offered by Sen. Steve Bieda (D-9)

To make the MCCA and its successor organization subject to the state's open records law. The Senate-passed version of the bill does subject the successor organization to this law.

The amendment failed 15 to 23 (details)

Amendment offered by Sen. Morris Hood (D-3)

To prohibit auto insurance policies from basing premium prices on a person’s credit history or lack of credit history.

The amendment failed 11 to 27 (details)

Amendment offered by Sen. Bert Johnson (D-2)

To prohibit auto insurance policies from basing premium prices on a person’s education level.

The amendment failed 10 to 28 (details)

Amendment offered by Sen. Curtis Hertel (D-23)

To require that when the MCCA is finally shut down after all its liabilities have been extinguished any leftover money must be rebated to auto insurance customers.

The amendment failed 11 to 27 (details)

Amendment offered by Sen. Vincent Gregory (D-11)

To strip out a modest appropriation in the bill, which among other things makes the bill not subject to referendum under a 2001 Supreme Court ruling.

The amendment failed 16 to 22 (details)

Amendment offered by Sen. David Knezek (D-5)

To require insurance companies to testify before the legislature if there is more than a 15 percent variance in premium prices between customers in a particular zip code and the state average.

The amendment failed 13 to 25 (details)

Amendment offered by Sen. Jim Ananich (D-27)

To remove a provision that prohibits medical providers from charging an auto insurer more than the average price the provider charges regular customers for a medical service.

The amendment failed 14 to 24 (details)

Amendment offered by Sen. Rebekah Warren (D-18)

To eliminate price controls the bill would establish for personal attendant care of injured individuals.

The amendment failed 13 to 25 (details)

Amendment offered by Sen. Jim Ananich (D-27)

To establish that the provisions of the bill are prospective only.

The amendment failed 13 to 25 (details)

Passed in the Senate 21 to 17 (details)

To replace the Michigan Catastrophic Claims Association (MCCA) with a new state authority that would provide reinsurance to individual auto insurance companies for personal injury claim amounts that exceed above $545,000 per incident. The MCCA is a private entity created by the original no-fault law, which also mandated that all drivers have unlimited personal injury protection coverage (PIP). The bill would place some price controls on medical services and attendant care provided to injured individuals under this PIP, with monthly copays on the latter. It would also expand the duties of a state automobile theft prevention authority to include insurance fraud related PIP benefits, paid for by $21 million in assessments (taxes) on insurers.

Received in the House

April 16, 2015

Referred to the Committee on Insurance

April 23, 2015

Reported without amendment

With the recommendation that the substitute (H-3) be adopted and that the bill then pass.