THE CPAN STORY
The Birth of CPAN
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The Birth of CPAN |
| 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: |
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MEDICAL GROUPS |
CONSUMER GROUPS |
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1. Michigan Academy of Physician Assistants |
1. Brain Injury Association of Michigan |
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 17 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.
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 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!
Principles
Click here for CPAN's guiding principles
Leadership
Click here for information on CPAN's leadership team
