Health Coverage, Gas Bills, and Insurance Bad Faith: This Week in Michigan

From a major lawsuit over health insurance costs to another gas rate hike, it's been a busy two weeks for Michigan consumers. Here's what you need to know.

The Consumer Protection Roundup

State sues Blue Cross Blue Shield over health insurance monopoly

On October 8, Attorney General Dana Nessel sued Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, alleging it used its dominant market position (about 65% of the state's health insurance market) to push up premiums while cutting payments to doctors and hospitals. Read the AG's announcement →

Gas bills going up 4.3% for Consumers Energy

On October 15, the Michigan Public Service Commission approved a $139.2 million natural gas rate increase for Consumers Energy, about 58% of what the utility asked for. Nessel had argued for a much smaller increase. See what changes on your bill →

Days later, Consumers Energy said it plans to file another gas rate increase request. Read more →

Lansing restaurant stuck waiting on a $2.2 million fire claim

Lansing Township's Flap Jack Shack (pictured above) has been closed since an April fire, and about 40 employees are still waiting to come back. The owner says Auto-Owners Insurance has paid less than $150,000 on a $2.2 million claim while it disputes who is responsible for interior repairs, delaying and denying the restaurant’s claim in bad faith. "Auto-Owners has been a complete obstacle for the last six months to getting this place back in business," said Jeff Moss, the adjuster handling the restaurant's claim. Read the full story →

State sues Michigan football tailgate group over missing tickets

The Attorney General is suing HailGate, a Michigan football tailgate group run by a Plymouth man, and its owner. The suit alleges buyers paid for football tickets, concert packages, and memorabilia they never received. If you bought from HailGate, you can file a complaint at 877-765-8388. Get the details and tips for buying tickets safely →

Chatbot bankruptcy sale exposes need for data protections

AI chatbot company Character.AI filed for bankruptcy, and Michigan joined 38 other states and D.C. to demand that any buyer keep user protections in place, including real age verification and a way for users to delete their data before a sale. Read more from Michigan Advance →

Your Vote is Your Voice

Remember, Election Day is Tuesday, November 3. You can skip the Election Day lines and vote early in-person starting tomorrow, October 24th and ending Sunday, November 1st.

Reminder that you can register to vote up until Election Day, and that if you do not have a photo ID, you can still vote by signing an affidavit. Find your early voting site and hours →