Traumatic Brain Injury population, both military and civilian, is on the rise Proposed change to Auto No Fault Insurance threatens brain injury continuum of care
BRIGHTON, Mich., June 24 /PRNewswire/ -- The number of Michigan residents
living with traumatic brain injury (TBI) is growing, according to the second
annual report from the Michigan Department of Community Health's (MDCH)
Traumatic Brain Injury Services and Prevention Council. Non-fatal
hospitalized TBI cases in the state increased 19 percent, from 8,612 to 10,220
per year, between 1999 and 2005, while the number of TBI fatalities decreased
about 2 percent. According to the Brain Injury Association of Michigan
(BIAMI) the following issues could have a profound impact on Michigan
taxpayers, the number of Michigan residents who sustain a brain injury, and
the cost and availability of care and rehabilitation.
Public Cost of TBI
The current cost of TBI treatment in Michigan for Medicaid Fee For Service
(FFS) patients - averages 19.7 million dollars annually, according to a report
by the Michigan Public Health Institute (MPHI) and the MDCH. This cost is a
significant underestimate because it does not include the more than half of
all Medicaid recipients who are in managed care plans. This cost covers only
a small portion of the 200,000 Michigan residents that are living with a TBI,
as estimated by the Centers for Disease Control. It does not reflect the
costs of patients whose TBIs were sustained auto crashes. Auto crash-related
TBIs account for 32.4 percent of non-fatal hospitalized TBI cases in Michigan
and treatment for those injuries is currently covered by Michigan's Auto No
Fault insurance law.
Michigan Auto No Fault Insurance
The viability of Auto No Fault insurance in the state of Michigan is being
threatened. Change to the unlimited coverage of Auto No Fault will mean
decreased availability to rehabilitation for TBI survivors and decreased
opportunity for TBI survivors to receive the care necessary to return to work.
The cost of their long-term care will instead shift to Michigan taxpayers.
One such proposed change to Auto No Fault, House Bill 1278, limits the
driver's amount of personal injury protection, which covers the cost of
medical care and rehabilitation, in exchange for a nominal reduction in
insurance premiums. BIAMI is greatly concerned about this legislation for the
following reasons:
-- Michigan drivers most likely to choose this limited coverage, in order
to obtain a less costly insurance premium, are also those most likely to
sustain a TBI in an auto crash - high school and college-aged males. In other
words, those who will most likely need unlimited coverage for a lifetime of
care are those most likely not to choose it.
-- The cost of a lifetime of care for a serious TBI far exceeds the lower
coverage levels offered by the bill. Lifetime coverage is necessary to
provide a TBI survivor with the established TBI continuum of rehabilitative
care needed for optimal quality of life and the opportunity to return to work
post-injury.
-- Bill 1278 would effectively allow insurance companies to limit their
expenses through lower coverage obligations and pass the long-term care costs
on to Michigan taxpayers.
Michigan Motorcycle Helmet Law
A looming threat that will increase the number of TBIs in Michigan is the
legislature's attempt to repeal the Michigan Motorcycle Helmet Law. Current
Michigan law requires all motorcyclists to wear a crash helmet while operating
a motorcycle. Proposed legislation, House Bill 4749, would allow licensed
motorcyclists over the age of 21 with two years experience and a minimum of
$20,000 in insurance to ride their motorcycle without a helmet.
Governor Granholm vetoed this bill on June 13. It is crucial to Michigan
residents and the family members of motorcyclists that the Michigan
legislature does not override this veto. It has been proven that the number
of fatalities and serious injuries resulting from motorcycle crashes
drastically increases when helmets are not required. Florida repealed its
helmet law in 2000. According to an August 2005 report by the National
Highway Traffic Safety Administration, non-fatal head injury hospitalizations
in Florida increased a staggering 80 percent in the 30 months directly
following the law change.
The proposed $20,000 in required insurance does not even adequately cover
the immediate medical cost of a TBI-related hospitalization, let alone the
necessary and oftentimes life-long care needed for a TBI patient. The
increased cost of care that will undoubtedly accompany the increased incidence
of brain injury will fall on the Michigan taxpayer.
Traumatic Brain Injury in Military Veterans
TBI has become widely recognized in recent years due to the staggering
numbers of brain injuries sustained by military service members serving in
Iraq and Afghanistan. TBI is known as the signature injury of these wars and
the BIAMI is directly addressing this issue in collaboration with the MDCH's
TBI Council through the BIAMI Veterans Program.
The three major goals of this program are raising TBI awareness among
veterans and their families, facilitating a working relationship with Michigan
Department of Military Affairs with the goal of establishing a public/private
partnership, and reaching out to private TBI health-care providers for the
treatment of returning veterans. Accomplishments to date include the
distribution of educational brochures, pre- and post-deployment briefings to
military members and families about TBI, and enhancing the TBI support
available to veterans.
State of Michigan TBI Grant Project
The Michigan Department of Community Health administers $200,000 annually
for the TBI Grant Project - $100,000 from the State of Michigan and $100,000
from the Health Research and Services Administration-Maternal and Child Health
Bureau. The MDCH's TBI Services and Prevention Council, chaired by Michael
Dabbs, president of the BIAMI, offers guidance and expertise to the Project,
providing recommendations for the use of funding. With the TBI Council's
support and guidance, the TBI Grant Project is making great strides in
Michigan:
-- The data collection efforts will assist the legislature and state
agencies to determine how to more appropriately and cost effectively address
the needs of Michigan residents who sustain a TBI.
-- Outreach and support to veterans is being increased.
-- Support and education are being provided to schools and community
groups regarding youth sports concussion.
-- The Project actively supports legislation requiring children between
four and eight years of age to be restrained in a booster seat while riding in
a motor vehicle.
The state of brain injury in Michigan is one of steady progress in the
face of incredible odds. The BIAMI and MDCH's TBI Council are fighting
diligently to provide the best rehabilitation environment possible to the
rising population of TBI survivors, both military and civilian, and to
maintain Michigan's superior continuum of care against what can only be
described as relentless opposition.
"As that continuum of care is being threatened," said Michael Dabbs, "our
level of dedication to the brain injury community we serve here in Michigan
has never been greater."
About the Brain Injury Association of Michigan
The Brain Injury Association of Michigan (BIAMI) was founded in 1981 by
family members, persons with brain injury and persons in the brain injury
profession. At the time, brain injuries were largely misunderstood and
services for those affected were hard to find. In the years since its
inception, much progress has been made in treating brain injuries, and the
BIAMI has expanded its focus to include prevention programs. The mission of
the BIAMI is to enhance the lives of those affected by brain injury through
education, advocacy, research and local support groups and to reduce the
incidence of brain injury through prevention.
SOURCE Brain Injury Association of Michigan
