CPAN (the Coalition Protecting Auto No-Fault) was formed in 2003 by 26 professional associations who shared the strongly held belief that it was in the public interest to preserve Michigan's model no-fault auto insurance system and to make sure that the Michigan auto insurance industry kept the original no-fault promise it made to Michigan citizens when the No-Fault Act was passed in 1972. These 26 professional associations consist of 15 major medical groups and 11 consumer groups, who represent numerous constituencies with widely divergent political views.  In spite of their differences, these associations were united by the common objective to protect the rights of patients and providers under the Michigan no-fault system.  The 26 professional associations who founded CPAN consist of the following:

MEDICAL GROUPS

CONSUMER GROUPS

1.        Michigan Academy of Physician Assistants 2.        Michigan Assisted Living Association 3.        Michigan Association of Chiropractors 4.        Michigan Association of Rehabilitation             Organizations 5.        Michigan Brain Injury Providers Council 6.        Michigan College of Emergency             Physicians 7.        Michigan Health & Hospital Association 8.        Michigan Home Health Association 9.        Michigan Nurses Association 10.      Michigan Orthopaedic Society 11.      Michigan Orthotics and Prosthetics             Association 12.      Michigan Osteopathic Association 13.      Michigan Rehabilitation Association 14.      Michigan Society of Oral and Maxillofacial            Surgeons 15.      Michigan State Medical Society 16.      Michigan Dental Association

1.        Brain Injury Association of Michigan 2.        Disability Advocates of Kent County 3.        Disability Network of Michigan 4.        Michigan Association for Justice 5.        Michigan Citizen Action 6.        Michigan Paralyzed Veterans of America 7.        Michigan Partners for Patient Advocacy 8.        Michigan Protection and Advocacy             Service 9.        Michigan State AFL-CIO 10.      UAW Michigan CAP

Working cooperatively together, these associations have vigorously opposed repeated efforts of the Michigan auto insurance industry to dramatically weaken the Michigan No-Fault Law and substantially diminish the rights of accident victims and their medical providers.

What CPAN Has Accomplished?

Since its formation in 2003, CPAN has fought vigorously to preserve Michigan's model no-fault insurance system.  These efforts have resulted in many victories for patients and providers, including the following:

• Stopping bad legislation - CPAN and its members have worked successfully to stop bad legislation from becoming law, including: (1) stopping medical fee schedules, (2) stopping managed care, and (3) stopping reductions in personal injury protection benefits (also called PIP choice).
• Sponsoring proactive legislation - CPAN has gone on the offensive and sponsored many items of positive legislation protecting the rights of patients and medical providers, including: (1) placing restrictions on the rights of insurance companies to audit medical bills; (2) restoring protections on the statute of limitations for minors, incompetent persons, and medical providers; (3) guaranteeing the right of patients to choose their medical providers and case managers; (4) penalizing insurance companies for the wrongful, bad-faith denial of claims; and (5) repealing the Kreiner decision so that auto accident victims can hold drunk and careless drivers fully accountable.
• Fighting court battles - CPAN has filed approximately 28 amicus curiae briefs in the Michigan Supreme Court.  In every one of these cases, CPAN fought hard to protect the interests of the patients and providers, including urging the Court to: (1) restrict the ability of insurance companies to discount bills for medical treatment by hiring auditing companies whose role is to reduce reimbursement to providers; (2) restore the protections of the statute of limitations for minors, incompetent persons and medical providers; (3) prohibit the sale of managed care policies that would convert our no-fault system from a fee-for-services to a managed care system; (4) to limit the power of the Michigan Catastrophic Claims Association (MCCA) to deny reimbursement of provider charges; and (5) to repeal the Kreiner decision so that victims can hold drunk and careless drivers fully accountable.  
• Seeking Transparency of the MCCA - CPAN's most recent lawsuit demanded transparency from the Michigan Catastrophic Claims Association (MCCA), which sits on a nearly $19 billion fund but maintains that the fund is finacially unsustainable. This super-secret organization’s board is composed only of insurance industry representatives and meetings are not subject to the “Open Meetings Act” law.  Drivers have a right to know if those funds are being properly managed and how the rates are set. Lawmakers should insist: no data – no deal!

In spite of these efforts, the battle continues and this year it is sure to reach new levels of intensity.  Make no mistake about it - the Michigan auto insurance industry will continue its efforts to dramatically alter the fundamental nature of the Michigan No-Fault Law.  These industry attacks on the no-fault system will be multifaceted and will include ongoing efforts to adopt medical fee schedules, impose managed care, authorize the sale of stripped down "PIP choice" insurance policies that will pay for only a fraction of medical expenses in catastrophic injury cases, and enact new restrictions on the rights of innocent victims to recover damages from at-fault drivers.  Along, the way, the insurance industry will continue to resist efforts for meaningful insurance rate reform and will oppose any legislation that would stop unfair, bad faith claim denials.  That is why CPAN is needed now more than ever!

The New CPAN

In 2009, the 26 professional associations who founded CPAN decided to make significant changes in its organizational structure, so that CPAN can be more effective in fighting the battle to save the Michigan no-fault system.  In this regard, CPAN's leadership changed the structure of CPAN by opening up membership to the general public.  By taking this action, CPAN is able to offer membership to citizens consumers, individual professionals, private businesses, and professional organizations.  After the reorganization of CPAN was completed in the summer of 2009, the "new CPAN" launched its current statewide membership campaign to promote the growth of the organization.  The purpose of this membership campaign is to recruit the largest membership base possible so that CPAN can become a financially sustainable organization that will always be a "major player" on issues involving the Michigan Auto No-Fault Law.  By doing so, CPAN will provide the first effective counter balance to the auto insurance industry - an industry that almost always gets its way in Michigan.

By making CPAN stronger and financially self-sufficient, CPAN will be able to initiate new and more vigorous activities to protect the rights of patients and providers under the Michigan No-Fault Law.  Therefore, it is critically important for CPAN's membership campaign to be successful.

Why You Should Join CPAN?

If CPAN did not exist, those stakeholders who want to preserve Michigan's model no-fault insurance system would lose the unified force of a large, well-respected, bipartisan organization that had proven it can effectively resist the political power of the Michigan auto insurance industry.  The fact is that CPAN has become an important voice that legislators listen to regarding auto no-fault issues.  The question now is whether that voice will continue to be heard.  Only you can decide that. 

Therefore, if saving the Michigan Auto No-Fault System is important to you, you should join CPAN today!

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Principles

Click here for CPAN's guiding principles

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Leadership

Click here for information on CPAN's leadership team

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Staff

Click here for information on the CPAN staff