LANSING – House Democrats filed a discharge petition today to bring House Bill 5124 to the House floor for a vote. The bill, which is part of the bipartisan Fair and Affordable No-Fault Reform package, would provide immediate rate reductions to seniors 62 and older without slashing benefits. Despite wide support for the bill, Republican leadership denied state Rep. Henry Yanez (D-Sterling Heights) the opportunity to speak in favor of it, instead postponing indefinitely any action on providing Michigan seniors much needed rate relief.
“We have the opportunity to do something today to reduce auto insurance rates for Michigan seniors,” said Rep. Yanez. “I’ve hosted multiple town halls and talked with many seniors in my district and they all say the same thing – they need rate relief on their car insurance. We could have done that today, but Republican leadership stood in the way. That is nothing less than disrespectful to our seniors.”
Drivers pay a fee for personal injury protection — PIP — as part of their insurances costs, however senior citizens often receive similar protections from Medicare or other retirement benefits, effectively forcing them to pay for coverage they’re already receiving. House Bill 5124 would eliminate the requirement for those aged 62 and older to pay for a reduced PIP, resulting in hundreds if not thousands in savings for many elderly across the state. The bill would also ensure rehabilitative care — which is not entirely covered by Medicare — while still lowering costs.