Michigan Drivers Issued $3B In Auto Insurance Refunds

Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer and the Michigan Department of Insurance and Financial Services Director Anita Fox announced more than $3,041,000,000 has been issued by auto insurers to eligible Michiganders in a press release on Wednesday.

It was a massive undertaking for Michigan's auto insurers to send out the refunds, Fox said in the release. "We were able to put a significant amount of money back in Michiganders' pockets – something we should all celebrate," she continued.

The refunds came from a roughly $5 billion surplus in the Michigan Catastrophic Claims Association fund that accumulated after the passage of the 2019 historic no-fault auto insurance reform package to ensure cost controls and consumer protections, according to the release.

The $3 billion in refunds was transferred to insurance companies in early March for distribution to insured drivers by May 9. The other $2 billion was reserved to "ensure continuity of care for accident survivors."

Monday, May 9, 2022, closed out the period for insurance companies to distribute the $400 per-vehicle checks for each vehicle that was insured under a policy that meets the minimum insurance requirements for operating a vehicle on Michigan roads as of 11:59 p.m. on October 31, 2021.

"This year, we put more than $3 billion back in people's pockets with $400 auto refund checks per vehicle," Whitmer said in the release. "As we move past the end of the refund process, we will continue to use every tool in our toolbox to help put money back into the pockets of Michiganders."

People started getting refund checks in March. People who have not yet gotten their refund, but believe they are eligible should first contact their insurance company and then the Department of Insurance and Financial Services at (833) ASK-DIFS between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday through Friday if they can't get it sorted out.

"If you haven't received your check, contact the insurance company that insured your vehicle on October 31, 2021, to verify your banking, address information and how your refund has been issued," Fox said in the release. "If you need further assistance, you may file a complaint with DIFS so that we may investigate at Michigan.gov/DIFScomplaints."