The elephant in the room, however, is more like a jungle.  First, Michigan doesn’t have a cap on medical coverage.  And second, we have no uniformity in the price of health care.  Hence, the need for uniform schedules or a true marketplace for medical services.  Think about it – – only in a free market do we see true supply and demand pricing.  Thus, without medical price transparency, we as consumers are unable to bargain for our healthcare.  Of course, the health insurance companies—because of their size and leverage—are able to negotiate contracts with hospitals to pay a fixed percentage of the charges.  Auto carriers have been unable to endeavor these agreements, and quite frankly, the medical providers are not willing to enter into any contracts, given the 100 percent rate of reimbursement under the Michigan No-Fault Act.

So, while Mr. Mallett’s proposal may be noble in theory, it is not a practical solution under the current framework of the No-Fault system.

Vince Colella is a founding partner of Moss & Colella, P.C., a Southfield, Michigan-based law firm that specializes in personal injury and civil rights trial law. For more than two decades, Vince has tried and won cases in State and Federal Courts throughout the state. His extensive trial experience and expertise includes automobile negligence, police brutality and misconduct, premises liability, sexual assault, construction and trucking accidents, insurance disputes, sexual harassment, discrimination and wrongful death.