State Rep. Barb Byrum and Michigan House Democrats Take on Insurance Giants
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We purchase insurance policies to protect ourselves from life-altering calamities. For example, when we have a car accident, we feel safeguarded knowing that we can go to our auto insurance company to help us pay to fix our damaged vehicle, purchase a new car entirely, or to pay for our medical treatment if we are injured in an auto accident. The same ideas are behind homeowner’s insurance. Similarly, we rely on our medical insurance to cover our medical treatments and other expenses in times of emergency and also for preventative care.
Kecia Milliner’s daughter suffered severe injuries after her daughter was hit by a speeding car and dragged for about a block. Not only did Milliner have to deal with the trauma of witnessing her daughter’s accident, doctors soon discovered her daughter had a serious brain injury, amongst other injuries. Milliner followed all of the requests of the insurance company, including visiting twelve doctors, but they still denied her claims and refused to pay her staggering medical bills. Watch the video:
For this reason, she is joining with Michigan House Democrats to argue against the wrongful denial practices of insurance companies:
Insurance companies seem to make big promises and use catchy slogans to gain our attention and essentially, our trust. However, Michigan is one of four states that does not protect its consumers from insurance companies doing the unforgivable: wrongfully denying claims. By rejecting legitimate claims, insurance companies can hold on to your money longer and make interest off of their investments. As was recently discovered, many insurance companies even reward employees who deny claims or send claims to a “special investigations unit”—delaying you from getting your money at the most crucial moments. Watch a video of Jo Anne Katzman, a former Allstate employee, who is now blowing the whistle on the insurance industry:
Find out why she decided to quit her job and join with Michigan House Democrats:
The longer the process takes, more consumers are forced to accept less than what they are owed or worse, nothing at all. While the bills mount, many consumers are faced with expensive legal battles just to get the bare minimum of what they should have received in the first place. But now, State Representative Barb Byrum and other Michigan House Democrats are fighting back against the insurance company behemoths. According to their plan, they will:
· Strengthen consumer protections by punishing insurance companies that wrongfully deny claims with penalties including a $1 million fine.
· Punish corporate leaders who knowingly create, foster or encourage wrongful denial of claims by making misconduct a felony punishable by up to four years in prison plus a $50,000 fine.
· Create whistle-blower protection that shields employees from retaliation by their employer when they report that an insurance company is engaging in wrongful denial of claims.
· Require insurance companies to repair a consumer’s credit rating when harmed by wrongful denial of coverage.
Please sign the Michigan House Democrats’ petition and hold insurance companies accountable for their poor behavior.