LOCS Board selects six Superintendent interview candidates
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LOCS Board selects six Superintendent interview candidates |
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LOHS Class of 2020 Graduation Ceremony
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New Auto Insurance Rate Filings Approved
New Auto Insurance Rate Filings Approved: Average Statewide Savings Exceed New Law Requirements
Media Contact: Laura Hall, (517) 290-3779, [email protected] Dedicated Auto No-Fault Consumer Hotline: 833-ASK-DIFS (275-3437) Dedicated Auto No-Fault Consumer Email: [email protected] FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 9, 2020 (LANSING, MICH) With rate filings representing more than 99.5% of Michigan’s personal auto insurance market now approved, Governor Gretchen Whitmer and the Michigan Department of Insurance and Financial Services (DIFS) announced today that the average statewide Personal Injury Protection (PIP) medical savings under the state’s new auto insurance law will exceed the law’s requirements. The new law also strengthens consumer protections and mandates statewide average savings for 8 years. “This is a time when Michiganders need to see rate relief, and I am pleased that these reforms will result in savings even greater than the law’s requirements,” said Gov. Whitmer. “It’s important that drivers talk to their insurance agents or attend upcoming town halls to make sure they understand the changes coming this summer so they can make the best choices for their families and budgets.” Auto insurance premiums are individual to each consumer and may vary on driving record, miles driven, coverages selected, and other allowable factors. Under the new auto insurance law, Michigan drivers will now have a choice in the amount of PIP medical coverage they purchase on policies issued or renewed after July 1, 2020. PIP medical coverage pays allowable expenses for medical care, recovery, rehabilitation, and some funeral expenses, and typically represents almost half of an individual driver’s premium. Michigan is the only state where unlimited PIP medical continues to be an option. The aggregated data shows that the average statewide PIP medical reductions exceed the statutory requirements, which use the average statewide rates on May 1, 2019 as the baseline.
For the first time, DIFS contracted with outside independent actuaries to review all filed rates to confirm compliance with the law. DIFS rejected PIP filings that used any rating factors not permitted under the new law, such as sex, marital status, home ownership, or zip code, and required companies to resubmit filings with the prohibited factors removed. In total, DIFS approved 321 personal and commercial auto filings related to the law change.
The new law also increased the mandatory level of Bodily Injury coverage (BI), which is the limit the insurance company will pay if a driver is found legally responsible for damages in a crash. Even when adjusted for statutory increases, the filings continue to show savings.
“DIFS has worked hard in extraordinary circumstances to review and approve auto insurance rates so that drivers can see the benefit of this law starting this summer,” said DIFS Director Anita Fox. “We are also working to educate Michiganders so they can be ready to review and make decisions about their policies and ultimately save money.” Educational resources, instructional videos and a schedule of virtual town hall events are available for drivers to learn more about the new law at Michigan.gov/autoinsurance. In addition, DIFS continues to operate its dedicated, no-fault hotline with calls being answered Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Drivers can call 833-ASK-DIFS (275-3437) or email [email protected] with any questions, concerns, or complaints. |
Additional Food Assistance for 350,000 Michigan Families
Additional Food Assistance for 350,000 Michigan Families in Response to COVID-19 Emergency Extended Through June
LANSING, Mich. – Approximately 350,000 Michigan families will continue to have access to additional food assistance benefits during the month of June as a response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) announced today.
Michigan previously approved the additional food assistance for March, April and May – and now that is being extended for the month of June with approval from the U.S. Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service.
“As we carefully move Michigan to the next phase of the MI Safe Start Plan, it’s important to note that many families who have been impacted by the pandemic still need help putting nutritious food on the table,” Gov. Whitmer said. “MDHHS, its dedicated staff, and I remain committed to helping them as our state recovers from the impact of the pandemic.”
Eligible clients will see additional food assistance benefits on their Bridge Card by June 30, with payments beginning for some households on June 20. Additional benefits will be loaded onto Bridge Cards as a separate payment from the assistance that is provided earlier in the month.
Nearly 1.5 million people in Michigan receive federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits through the state’s Food Assistance Program
Households eligible for Food Assistance Program benefits will receive additional benefits in June to bring all current SNAP cases to the maximum monthly allowance for that group size. This change only applies to customers not currently receiving the maximum benefit amount. The 350,000 households that receive increased benefits represent close to 50 percent of the 729,669 of Michigan households that receive food assistance. The remaining households already receive the maximum benefit.
The table below shows the maximum allowable benefit for SNAP customers based on their respective household size:
One Person: $194
Two Persons: $355
Three Persons: $509
Four Persons: $646
Five Persons: $768
Six Persons: $921
Seven Persons: $1,018
Eight Persons: $1,164
The federal government is providing additional funding to states for food assistance under House Resolution 6201, the Families First Coronavirus Response Act.
Eligible families do not need to re-apply to receive the additional benefits. People who receive food assistance can check their benefits balance on their Michigan Bridge Card by going online to www.michigan.gov/MIBridges a consumer service representative toll-free at 888-678-8914. They can ask questions about the additional benefits by calling or emailing their caseworker.
Customer service is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Spanish and Arabic service is available. If you are deaf, deafblind or hard of hearing or speech-impaired, call the Michigan Relay Center at 7-1-1.
Information around the COVID-19 outbreak is changing rapidly. The latest information is available at Michigan.gov/Coronavirus and CDC.gov/Coronavirus.
Protect trees and forests from invasive species; don’t move firewood
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Harmful invasive species, some of which are invisible to the naked eye, can hide in or on firewood. While most cannot move far on their own, these pests and diseases can be transported undetected on travelers’ firewood, starting new infestations in locations hundreds of miles away. These invasive species threaten native tree species without natural defenses against these pests and diseases. Infestations also can destroy forests, lower property values and cost huge sums of money to control.
The COVID-19 Update
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