None of the companies that offer health insurance policies cover medical marijuana cost. If the lawmakers in Michigan get their way, even the auto insurance companies in this state will not cover the cost of treatment for accidents caused due to use of medical marijuana.
The Senate Judiciary committee of this state unanimously voted to pass the law the prohibits auto insurance providers from paying out claims for mishaps that are related to usage of medical marijuana. Insurance Institute of Michigan’s executive director, Peter Kuhnmuench, has said that the response was really surprising.
Most of the auto insurance companies in the state began receiving a number of claims for accidents that were caused due to usage of medical marijuana. Most of them even ended up processing the claims because this particular aspect was not clearly mentioned as a part of the law that governs usage of medical marijuana.
The authors of the bill that prohibited the coverage of medical marijuana as a part of health insurance coverage did not anticipate similar problems would arise with the auto insurance industry. Hence, it was only health insurance policies that denied coverage for this. But now, with the problem bursting at the seams, the change to the law is long due.
One among the authors of the original law that was implemented in the year 2008, Tim Beck, said that there has to be a great deal of transparency in the changes that are being recommended to the existing law by the current legislature in the state. He also said that the negotiations are being done in good faith since the cost of medical marijuana should not be borne by the insurance providers. With the Judiciary committee voting for this law, it is now in the hands of the state Senate to give its approval for implementation.
Once this law comes into implementation, the next is to prohibit medical marijuana being covered by workers compensation insurance as well. The judiciary committee also intends to bring in a law that mandates people to reside in the state for twelve months to gain eligibility for medical marijuana certificate. The latter problem is currently being addressed by Senator Rick Jones and Senator Grand Ledge who have heard various concerns from the state police regarding people who stay in rental homes in the state, obtain a medical marijuana certificate and drivers license and grow enough marijuana that is then transported to their place.
