The Detroit insurance plan will not solve the city’s crisis.
Another relatively new development in the Michigan no-fault reform arena is D-Insurance, which was formally introduced under Senate Bill 288 in 2015 as a way to combat the high auto insurance premiums paid by Detroit residents.
D-Insurance plan offers second-class coverage in exchange for lower premiums.
As we all know, those premiums are among the highest paid in the state, for a number of reasons that are often up for debate. As a way to provide financial relief to Detroit residents, Mayor Mike Duggan introduced the idea of having a separate insurance system for those living in Detroit, coined “D-Insurance.” In exchange for lower premiums, however, drivers would receive a drastic reduction in the benefits and protections they would otherwise receive under our existing no-fault system.
While nobody disputes that insurance rates in Detroit are astronomically high, residents of the city are being relegated to second-class coverage with D-Insurance. It is a dangerous proposal that will have very serious consequences if passed by the Michigan legislature. Whether you live in Detroit, Lansing, or Grand Rapids, you should be concerned about SB 288 and the threat it poses to our no-fault insurance law.
We have addressed SB 288 in a number of blogs, found below. Be sure to educate yourself about what the proposal entails.
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The Problems with D-Insurance, the Proposed Detroit Auto Insurance Plan
In an effort to combat the astronomically high auto insurance rates paid for by the residents of Detroit, a plan to create a separate system for the city, coined “D-Insurance,” was formed. While it is being sold to the public as a way for Detroiters to save thousands of dollars, its supporters say very little about the way in which the system would effectively provide residents with second-class insurance coverage, to their detriment should they become catastrophically injured in a car accident. Learn precisely what D-Insurance provides.
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D-Insurance Update: A Closer Look at Michigan SB 288 (S-3)
D-Insurance is encompassed in SB 288 (S-3). We have broken down the latest version of the bill into its most salient points, including why the sale of these substandard auto no-fault policies would do more harm than good not only to the people of Detroit, the people of Michigan, and the state’s economy.
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Is D-Insurance One Step Closer to Becoming Reality?
The Detroit auto insurance plan, D-Insurance, was voted out of committee earlier this year and has yet to see any additional action. Michigan SB 288, which provides the framework for the plan, would allow cities like Detroit to offer low-cost auto insurance policies, but a cost. In exchange for allegedly saving money, those covered under these plans would be severely limited in the benefits and services they could access if they were severely injured in an auto accident. Be sure you understand why D-Insurance will only hurt those it should supposedly be helping.
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Would D-Insurance Solve Detroit’s Auto Insurance Crisis?
The Mayor of Detroit has insinuated that those who are opposed to his D-Insurance plan are somehow “immoral.” While we can all agree that Detroit is facing an auto insurance crisis, the immorality of the situation actually lies in the fact that Detroiters who opt into the plan would be faced with woefully inadequate coverage. When assessing the D-Insurance proposal, be sure to ask yourself these questions: 1) Is it moral? 2) Is it fair? 3) Is it the answer?
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