Car insurers will give qualified policyholders refunds of $400 per automobile and $80 per historic vehicle. | Gretchen Whitmer/Twitter
Car insurers will give qualified policyholders refunds of $400 per automobile and $80 per historic vehicle. | Gretchen Whitmer/Twitter
Michigan drivers are set to receive a financial boost after Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and Michigan Department of Insurance and Financial Services (DIFS) Director Anita Fox said the Michigan Catastrophic Claims Association (MCCA) will provide $3 billion to the state's auto insurers.
MCCA honored Whitmer's request to give the surplus funds back to drivers while keeping $2 billion to provide for car accident survivors, Whitmer's office said in a press release on March 11.
The state's car insurers will now give qualified policyholders refunds of $400 per automobile and $80 per historic vehicle if they were insured under the state's policy on minimum insurance requirements as of Oct. 31, 2021, Whitmer's office said.
"After Governor Whitmer called on the MCCA to issue these refunds and the MCCA announced its plan, DIFS issued guidance to auto insurers to ensure that these refunds are sent out as quickly as possible, and in no case later than May 9, 2022," Fox said in release by the governor's office on March 7. "Our goal is to make sure that Michiganders understand the eligibility requirements and to help ensure that this money makes it into consumers' pockets as quickly and securely as possible. DIFS stands ready to answer questions or help resolve any concerns that Michiganders may have regarding their refunds."
Those who are eligible and have not received their checks by the deadline on May 9 should notify their car insurance carriers, Whitmer's office said in the release. Customers who cannot resolve the problem with the carrier can call DIFS at 833-275-3437 or email them at autoinsurance@michigan.gov.
"These $400 refunds are game-changers for so many Michigan families," Whitmer said in the release. "I called for these refunds because I am committed to lowering costs for Michiganders and putting money back in people's pockets. They are possible because we worked across the aisle to pass bipartisan auto insurance reform, and we will keep working together to grow our economy and build a state where families can thrive."
DIFS has provided a FAQ website at Michigan.gov/MCCArefund that contains relevant information on how to obtain a refund, Whitmer's office said.
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