While insurance laws change all the time, at this writing, personal injury protection insurance is not required in the state of Georgia. It’s an optional coverage that many drivers elect to purchase.
What is Mandatory Coverage?
In Florida, where the coverage has been mandatory, this topic has been under a lot of scrutiny. Florida has required every driver to purchase PIP. The debate has centered on the resulting high insurance premiums, and it has created a fund that the medical costs for injured individuals were covered (up to $10,000). The idea sounds good, but the reality has not been good.
The insurance industry has been complaining for a long time that this “available pool of money” leads unscrupulous individuals to conspire to commit insurance fraud. Insurance companies have been lobbying to have certain types of medical treatments eliminated from coverage under the PIP provisions.
The laws are changing, and certain treatments like acupuncture and massage are no longer covered by the PIP funds, nor are any treatments that are not of an “emergency treatment” nature beyond an initial $2500. The reduction in covered treatments and amounts is supposed to result in a corresponding reduction in insurance premiums of around 25% per Florida policy holder, but insurance companies are now saying that won’t be possible, at least not by the originally mandated Oct. 1 deadline.
Questions About Your Coverage After An Accident?
It’s been interesting to watch what’s happening in Florida. Insurance issues are complex, and when you’re in an accident it’s sometimes difficult to figure out whose side the insurance company is on. We receive a lot of questions about auto insurance at our Alpharetta Law Offices, and we’re happy to assist where we can. If you are injured in a car accident and need help wading through the insurance process, contact the Van Sant Law. We’re here to help you.