McCarty called the retroactivity of the law "ridiculous." Let's be great together, let's have that compassion together." "We're Michigan, for gosh sakes," he said. Now, he can't find caregivers to drive him to PT, due to 45% cuts in their pay under the auto no fault law. With intensive physical therapy, he said he was close to being able to walk with a cane for nearly half a mile. The next period is expected to be played before the Supreme Court.Michigan Radio Braxton Wood was 17 when he suffered a partial spinal cord injury in a car crash. To put it in hockey terms, the game isn’t over with this court ruling. “I personally believe he will deteriorate and he will die,” said Bellanca. The Insurance Alliance of Michigan said the medical fee cuts for crash survivors result in savings for insurance company customers.īellanca warns that savings comes with a cost for people like Vlady. Some lawmakers who passed the reforms warn the cuts in care aimed to save you money. The fund that provides care for those with catastrophic injuries is fully funded, but when there is a surplus, money is sent to insured drivers across Michigan. The court agrees with us,” said Ruedisueli. “This affirms all of the advocacy work we have been doing to try to change this. When the Michigan Court of Appeals ruled Thursday that new cost controls in no fault reform shouldn’t be applied retroactively, she felt hope they would be able return for professional care. Some now are being cared for by friends and family. Ruedisueli says the company had to discharge 15 of its 30 patients impacted, who could not help cover the loss. “$2.5 million dollars is a lot to carry, but we are hopeful that these efforts will continue and our advocacy will be rewarded and we will get some of that back from the insurance companies,” said Theresa Ruedisueli, Arcadia Home Care Regional Director of Operations. It says it has accumulated $2.5 million in debt due to the change. “None of the 18,000 crash survivors should have to beg for money to live,” said Bellanca.Īrcadia Home Care and Staffing provides care for Konstantinov and has been lobbying for a change. Donations are helping, but are not a sustainable solution for Konstantinov, he says. “The shortfall for Vlady, with the application of the new law is $17,000 to $18,000 a month,” said Jim Bellanca, Vlady’s attorney and friend.īellanca says Konstantinov does not have savings to fund that. The cuts went into effect as the entire nation was hit with inflation. Then in 2019, lawmakers voted for auto no-fault reform, stipulating that reimbursements for caregivers and other services would be cut by 45%. He suffered a traumatic brain injury, but had care covered by the Michigan Catastrophic Claims Association. He went from celebrating a 1997 Stanley Cup Win to fighting for survival, his life changed in an instant when a limo crashed. It could be a major win for crash survivors across the state, including Red Wings Great Vladimir Konstantinov. This week the Michigan Court of Appeals ruled two to one in her case, that the law as written can not retroactively take care away from crash survivors. GROSSE POINTE, Michigan (WXYZ) - Ellen Andary from East Lansing is one of about 18,000 survivors of catastrophic car crashes that has lost care coverage since auto no-fault reforms went into effect last year.
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