Seven Republican members and two Democratic members of the House Insurance committee walked out today before they heard testimony from providers of care for car crash victims. The walkout meant no vote could be held on a bill to fix one aspect of the controversial 2019 auto no fault insurance law.
The 2019 no fault law cuts payments to care providers for car crash victims so deeply many are going out of business. Worse, many insurance companies are flouting the law and paying nothing at all.
Insurance Committee Chairwoman Daire Rendon, a Republican, didn't discuss the walkout. But she says non payment hurts vulnerable car crash survivors. "And these people who've already been the victimized once should not have to be the victim of trying to find health care because my provider is no longer going to be in business, or they haven't been paid and they're dropping me," she says.
Under the bill, introduced by Republican Ryan Berman, insurance companies would have to pay three times the amount owed after 90 days.
