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YOU CAN NOW COMMENT ON STORIES AND POLLS<br />
LET US KNOW HOW YOU FEEL ABOUT THE ISSUES.<br />
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NEW POLL OVERVIEW:<br />
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Legislation proposing sweeping changes to Michigan's no-fault auto insurance law was introduced last month.<br />
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Michigan</span><span style="font-size: larger;">'</span><span style="font-size: larger;">s no-fault auto insurance law went into effect in October 1973. It replaced a system in which injured parties often had to sue to recover costs. Under no-fault, drivers&rsquo; claims are paid by their own insurance company; lawsuits are limited to cases involving death, permanent disfigurement or serious impairment of body function. While 15 states have some form of no-fault auto insurance, Michigan is the only state that requires auto policies to provide accident victims with lifetime medical care with no financial cap.<br />
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Michigan Catastrophic Claims Association<br />
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Created in 1978, MCCA is oversees a fund that helps auto insurers pay for care of those with catastrophic injuries. It currently pays costs above $500,000, which will increase to $530,000 on July 1. MCCA assesses insurers annual fees, which are passed on to consumers. On July 1, the fee goes from $175 per vehicle to $186 per vehicle. Data used to calculate the annual fee is the subject of ongoing litigation.<br />
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House Bill 4612<br />
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Proposed legislation would put a $1 million cap on medical benefits to auto accident victims. Drivers would save $125 per vehicle in insurance costs. It also includes cost controls and a five-year program for fighting insurance fraud.<br />
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Supporters of the changes say the unlimited benefit can</span><span style="font-size: larger;">'</span><span style="font-size: larger;">t be sustained without skyrocketing premiums that will force more to drivers to go uninsured. They argue that auto insurers covering accident-related health care pay more for services than regular health insurers, Medicare, Medicaid or workers comp insurers.<br />
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Opponents argue that since MCCA</span><span style="font-size: larger;">'</span><span style="font-size: larger;">s rate-setting data is not public, it</span><span style="font-size: larger;">'</span><span style="font-size: larger;">s impossible to know whether drastic changes are needed. They oppose trading lifetime coverage for a $125 one-time savings and say the $1 million cap is likely to add tens of millions in costs to Medicaid, while also resulting in substandard care for victims.<br />
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NEW POLL QUESTION:<br />
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Should Michigan change the no-fault auto insurance law to set a $1,000,000.00 lifetime on accident benefits?<br />
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Yes <br />
No<br />
Undecided<br />
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TO VOTE IN THIS POLL CLICK ON THIS LINK<br />
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http://www.clinton-countygop.org/content/should-michigan-change-no-fault-auto-insurance-law-set-100000000-life-time-accident-benefits<br />
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(To enter your comments click on &quot;Add new comment</span><span style="font-size: larger;">&quot;</span><span style="font-size: larger;"> after you vote.)<br />
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PREVIOUS POLL QUESTION:<br />
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Do you feel </span><span style="font-size: larger;">&quot;</span><span style="font-size: larger;">nullification</span><span style="font-size: larger;">&quot;</span><span style="font-size: larger;"> should be used in Michigan to nullify federal laws deemed to violate Michigan's Constitution?<br />
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Yes - 90%<br />
No - 10%<br />
Undecided - 0%&nbsp; <br />
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THERE WERE TWO COMMENTS SUBMITTED ON THIS POLL:<br />
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ANONYMOUS COMMENT #1:<br />
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nullification<br />
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If anybody remembers, the civil war decided the question. It's time for the Repuplican party to stop being the Stupid Party.<br />
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ANONYMOUS COMMENT #2:<br />
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Nullification NOW!<br />
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Maybe the person who commented about &quot;Repuplican party&quot; should learn to spell. When the federal government is continually usurping the POWERS DELEGATED TO THE STATES in the U.S. Constitution it's time to take more drastic measures to take the power back to where it rightfully belongs.<br />
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We are no longer a republic of the people we are a socialist state moving toward tyranny! If nullification doesn</span><span style="font-size: larger;">'</span><span style="font-size: larger;">t work out maybe we need to revisit the last time it was tried.<br />
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The &quot;Stupid Party</span><span style="font-size: larger;">&quot;</span><span style="font-size: larger;"> is the only party that has a chance to save our republic. If you consider yourself a republican you need to rethink that. You probably voted for King Barack I and belong in the party that believes in Marxism.<br />
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