What Would Senate Bill 288 (S-3) D-Insurance Mean to Real People
What Does Senate Bill 288 (S-3) D-Insurance Mean to Real People? Hear testimonials from those affected.
D-Insurance would severely limit medical benefits coverage in hopes that insurers might lower premium charges. Mayor Duggan and others pushing for this proposal have pointed to other states and said that if this were to pass, people would still have one of the highest benefit levels in the country. While this may be true, it's important to look at what occurs in the other states following a catastrophic car accident.
"Unfortunately, we cannot bring our son home because there is no financial provision for care of traumatic brain injury patients in Florida. Kentucky is one of two states in the U.S. that offers an "Acquired Brain Injury Waiver" to cover medical costs beyond Medicaid. The Affordable Care Act does not provide for continued care after a patient is released from the hospital. Unless a patient has major medical private insurance there is little provision for continued care." - Lydia Greear, Author, Traumatic Brain Injury: A Caregiver's Guide
"The lack of coverage means that thousands of patients are discharged each year from hospitals to nursing homes or to languish in their beds during the critical early months when their brains are most receptive to healing, according to data from the National Institute for Disability and Rehabilitation Research. At least two-thirds of patients discharged from rehabilitation hospitals after a typical stay of 16 days get no further treatment, the studies indicate. Without intensive therapy, Manley says, brain-trauma patients may never regain full use of their limbs, their ability to use language, their emotional balance or their power to think clearly." - Steve Sternberg, USA Today, For Brain Injuries, A Treatment Gap
"Brain injuries can happen to anyone, anywhere, anytime. Recovery from a brain injury can take months and years. Just because the patient who has suffered a traumatic brain injury is released from the hospital does not mean they no longer need medical care. Emergency and acute phases pass quickly; the real recovery is in rehabilitation designed to help the patient return to some form of normal life." - Lydia Greear, Author, Traumatic Brain Injury: A Caregiver's Guide
"The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) was an important step forward in securing access to health care for all Americans, including those with disabilities. However, the law falls short in codifying the scope, duration, and intensity of rehabilitative treatment to be provided under its essential health benefit provisions. Thus, despite the prohibition against annual and lifetime spending caps, health plans across America are permitted to limit the number of therapeutic visits a policy holder may access in any given year. Medicare and Medicaid have similar limitations, although there are exceptions processes and other authorities that allow public payers to accommodate for some of the additional care persons with catastrophic injuries may require. The ACA contains no provision for an exceptions process.
Every brain injury is as unique as the individual who is injured. A variety of treatment approaches are needed as there is no universal set of surgeries, therapies, or programs to restore a brain to its pre-injury function. Individuals who sustain a TBI often need to relearn even the most basic activities of daily living, such as walking and eating. The number of visits a person will need to accomplish this varies greatly and should not be arbitrarily determined." - Susan Connors, President, Brain Injury Association of America
D-Insurance would cap coverage, limiting access to valuable rehabilitation, and force insureds to go to in-network providers, essentially removing the custom-tailored approach Michigan has had for 40 years.
"This custom-tailored approach results in better care and, I believe, better long-term outcomes for individuals who sustain traumatic brain injuries (TBI) in motor vehicle accidents." - Susan Connors, President, Brain Injury Association of America.
"If I was going to be hit by a car and seriously injured, I'd want to be in Michigan" - Bob Hunter, Director of Insurance, Consumer Federation of America
"As state governments continue to seek out the best practices across the nation, policymakers would do well to take note of the shining example that is Michigan auto no-fault insurance." - Susan Connors, President, Brain Injury Association of America
D-Insurance would severely limit medical benefits coverage in hopes that insurers might lower premium charges. Mayor Duggan and others pushing for this proposal have pointed to other states and said that if this were to pass, people would still have one of the highest benefit levels in the country. While this may be true, it's important to look at what occurs in the other states following a catastrophic car accident.
"Unfortunately, we cannot bring our son home because there is no financial provision for care of traumatic brain injury patients in Florida. Kentucky is one of two states in the U.S. that offers an "Acquired Brain Injury Waiver" to cover medical costs beyond Medicaid. The Affordable Care Act does not provide for continued care after a patient is released from the hospital. Unless a patient has major medical private insurance there is little provision for continued care." - Lydia Greear, Author, Traumatic Brain Injury: A Caregiver's Guide
"The lack of coverage means that thousands of patients are discharged each year from hospitals to nursing homes or to languish in their beds during the critical early months when their brains are most receptive to healing, according to data from the National Institute for Disability and Rehabilitation Research. At least two-thirds of patients discharged from rehabilitation hospitals after a typical stay of 16 days get no further treatment, the studies indicate. Without intensive therapy, Manley says, brain-trauma patients may never regain full use of their limbs, their ability to use language, their emotional balance or their power to think clearly." - Steve Sternberg, USA Today, For Brain Injuries, A Treatment Gap
"Brain injuries can happen to anyone, anywhere, anytime. Recovery from a brain injury can take months and years. Just because the patient who has suffered a traumatic brain injury is released from the hospital does not mean they no longer need medical care. Emergency and acute phases pass quickly; the real recovery is in rehabilitation designed to help the patient return to some form of normal life." - Lydia Greear, Author, Traumatic Brain Injury: A Caregiver's Guide
"The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) was an important step forward in securing access to health care for all Americans, including those with disabilities. However, the law falls short in codifying the scope, duration, and intensity of rehabilitative treatment to be provided under its essential health benefit provisions. Thus, despite the prohibition against annual and lifetime spending caps, health plans across America are permitted to limit the number of therapeutic visits a policy holder may access in any given year. Medicare and Medicaid have similar limitations, although there are exceptions processes and other authorities that allow public payers to accommodate for some of the additional care persons with catastrophic injuries may require. The ACA contains no provision for an exceptions process.
Every brain injury is as unique as the individual who is injured. A variety of treatment approaches are needed as there is no universal set of surgeries, therapies, or programs to restore a brain to its pre-injury function. Individuals who sustain a TBI often need to relearn even the most basic activities of daily living, such as walking and eating. The number of visits a person will need to accomplish this varies greatly and should not be arbitrarily determined." - Susan Connors, President, Brain Injury Association of America
D-Insurance would cap coverage, limiting access to valuable rehabilitation, and force insureds to go to in-network providers, essentially removing the custom-tailored approach Michigan has had for 40 years.
"This custom-tailored approach results in better care and, I believe, better long-term outcomes for individuals who sustain traumatic brain injuries (TBI) in motor vehicle accidents." - Susan Connors, President, Brain Injury Association of America.
"If I was going to be hit by a car and seriously injured, I'd want to be in Michigan" - Bob Hunter, Director of Insurance, Consumer Federation of America
"As state governments continue to seek out the best practices across the nation, policymakers would do well to take note of the shining example that is Michigan auto no-fault insurance." - Susan Connors, President, Brain Injury Association of America