On November 2nd I reported that Governor Whitmer had requested that the Michigan Catastrophic Claims Association (MCCA) send all of us who pay auto insurance a refund check.

I also informed you not to get too excited about Whitmer’s call for a refund and give her any credit there is more to the story. Michigan’s “insurance law requires the MCCA, beginning in September 2022 and every three years thereafter, to issue refunds when assets exceed 120% of liabilities”.

I then reported last week that the MCCA commission decided the refund would amount to $400 dollars for every Michigan driver who paid into the fund.  At that time they did not report when they would be sending out those checks and who will receive them.

Now they have.  The state just announced that yesterday that auto insurers will issue the refund checks no later than May 9, 2022.

The Michigan Department of Insurance and Financial Services (DIFS) has now created a website to answer many of the pertinent questions. For instance:

“Who is eligible to receive a refund: All vehicles that were insured as of 11:59 p.m. on October 31, 2021 are eligible to receive a refund if the vehicle was covered by a policy that meets the minimum insurance requirements for operating a vehicle on Michigan roads

When and how will I get my refund?:  The surplus funds will be turned over by the MCCA to the insurance companies operating in Michigan by March 9, 2022, and the insurers will be responsible for issuing checks or ACH deposits to eligible policyholders. DIFS will direct insurers to issue refund checks or ACH deposits to consumers as expeditiously as possible, but in no event later than 60 days after the transfer of funds.”

If you qualify and you have not received your refund by May 9, 2022, then you should contact your auto insurer.

Even with the large decrease in the MCCA Michigan still has one of the highest auto insurance rates in the country.  Earlier this year MLive reported on an analysis by a national auto insurance comparison site called The Zebra.  In that article they wrote:

"The analysis found Michigan’s car insurance rates dropped 18% statewide and 19% in Detroit, where drivers have historically paid some of the highest auto insurance costs in the country. Michigan’s statewide average — $2,535 per year — still clocked in far higher than the national average of $1,483 per year, and with an average of $5,072 per year, Detroit still posted the highest average car insurance rates in the U.S.

For answers to more questions please visit the Michigan Department of Insurance and Financial Services webpage on this issue.

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