Over 200 United Methodists and friends met with state lawmakers, urging them to pass policy changes that will increase care for those catastrophically injured in auto accidents.
JAMES DEATON
Content Editor
Salt and light — that’s what Jesus calls his followers to be in the world, and Latoya Coleman embodies this through advocacy, a God-given boldness that bubbles up from deep within. Coleman, a lay member of Grace Community United Methodist Church in Detroit, felt the Holy Spirit leading her to participate in the Michigan Conference’s third Advocacy Day in Lansing.
On March 12, 2025, Latoya joined over 200 United Methodists and friends at the State Capitol to speak up for those catastrophically injured in auto crashes whose care has been negatively impacted by 2019 reforms to Michigan’s auto no-fault insurance laws. These concerned citizens scheduled more than 80 face-to-face meetings with state representatives, senators, and legislative staff.
Speaking with lawmakers was new for Latoya, but she stepped out in faith. “This is where obedience brought me,” she said. “It allowed me to meet so many different people. I love being led by the Holy Spirit, succumbing to it, and not knowing exactly what’s going to happen, but acknowledging, ‘Lord, I’m nervous here, and I need you to give me some strength.’”
“But then,” she continued, “when I start talking, I realize I have it in me, and then it just flows.”
Advocacy Day’s focus was significant for Latoya because she is a social worker who assists vulnerable populations struggling to find adequate resources to cover their care. “What better way to show love for your neighbor than to talk for the people who can’t talk for themselves? And seeing people come from so many different places to advocate for the same thing is very inspiring, something I can take back to my church and community.”
The goal of Advocacy Day has always been to equip Michigan United Methodists to develop confidence and sharpen skills when communicating with lawmakers, those who shape public policies, about issues they care about. Our United Methodist faith, rooted in the Social Principles, calls us to stand in the Wesleyan tradition of moral witness and ethical action.
“We urge United Methodists to join efforts aimed at creating systems that provide comprehensive health protections for all. Additionally, we believe that everyone has a right to decent living conditions, including adequate food and water, safe housing and a healthy environment.” – United Methodist Social Principles
Each year, Michigan United Methodists and friends learn how to organize and craft compelling arguments, converse respectfully with elected officials, and advocate for policy changes that will positively impact the common good. Advocacy Day planners select a state issue with bipartisan support that offers an opportunity to build bridges and create a lasting effect. The skills participants gain at Advocacy Day can then be applied at the local and national levels. Read what South Lyon: First UMC did to advocate for safe and affordable housing in their community.
On Advocacy Day, Latoya put her training into practice and then trusted the confidence gifted by the Holy Spirit. She is a natural-born leader who has stepped into leadership roles within the Greater Detroit District. She is the president of the district’s United Women in Faith unit.
Latoya was chosen as the leader for the group meeting with Rep. Regina Weiss but didn’t realize she would be the sole person from District 5 until that morning. “I thought it wouldn’t just be me, but then I found out I was the group! I was nervous at first, but then Rep. Weiss intently listened, and it wasn’t intimidating at all. She took the folder with information about the auto no-fault reform issue and this FIXIT sign that she said she’d display in her window.”
Latoya’s overall experience was positive, and she felt comfortable sharing with Rep. Weiss why she was there as a concerned Michigander and a professional social worker.
“I empathize, and that’s my story because I know from the families I work with how catastrophic this could be, so if I could advocate on their behalf, I’d like to do so. I work in the mental health field, where we believe that everybody has the right to be in the most least restrictive environment. So, to put someone in a nursing home who does not medically need to be there but is only there because their caregiver can’t be at home is not a good use of funds, and it’s not a good place for people to be if they don’t need to be there.”
For over 50 years, Michigan held the gold standard for insurance coverage for those who suffered personal injury following an auto-related accident. No matter the level of coverage or who was at fault, if you were in a motor vehicle accident, you received lifetime healthcare coverage with no caps or restrictions, especially on long-term rehabilitation and care.
These healthcare costs billed to insurance companies were fully funded thanks to state law that required a portion of the premium paid by each Michigan driver to be added to a pool of money for catastrophic claims managed by the Michigan Catastrophic Claims Association (MCCA).
In 2019, the state legislature reformed this auto no-fault law, seeking to lower auto insurance premiums. Instead, these changes to Michigan’s law have created a crisis in care, impacting the level of services granted to survivors and the number of long-term care providers available.
The 2019 reforms included a provision that cut reimbursement for care by nearly 50%. For financial reasons, companies specializing in long-term care (post-acute care providers) could no longer provide the high level of care needed by auto crash survivors. Some of those companies have had to lay people off or close completely, leading to a shortage of this kind of care for crash survivors. Yet, no data has shown significant auto insurance cost savings.
As Latoya Coleman witnessed in her work, people with traumatic brain injuries and other life-long disabilities have been forced into hospitals or nursing homes, places that are not set up for the type of care these individuals need. Also, nursing homes are not suited for younger people.
Before the 2019 reforms, family members and friends who knew the survivor before the auto crash could be part of the care team at home. With the loss of long-term care providers, such care is essential. The new law capped paid time for familial providers at 56 hours per week, often at a pay rate lower than minimum wage, adding economic hardship for families.
Alicia Dorr works for Care Granted, a home healthcare company based in Grand Rapids that serves patients with various injuries resulting from auto accidents. A resident of Kalamazoo, she learned about Advocacy Day and knew she wanted to participate in the day’s events. Although she is not a United Methodist, she is a person of faith, and this is a matter close to her heart.
For Alicia, it’s about helping survivors live whole lives and, if possible, giving them the care they deserve in their homes surrounded by loved ones.
“Caregivers are some of the most intelligent, important, kindhearted souls you’ll ever meet,” she explained. “And it’s unfair to say that they can’t get a livable wage to care for people, whether they’re family members or whether they’re coming from outside. These people are helping others live with dignity and respect. When somebody is catastrophically injured, they need light at the end of the tunnel, and everybody has a right to a full and independent life.”
Alicia believes the changes needed to the current law are a bipartisan issue, a place where everyone can come together to advocate for what’s best for all Michiganders. Someone being able to get the highest level of care at all stages of recovery following an auto accident is something we can all agree on.
Under the pre-2019 law, there were no restrictions on the level of care an auto crash survivor could receive during their life. Through her work, Alicia has noticed how people who were able to receive high-level care, especially early on, have a greater chance at a meaningful, long life. “I look at my CEO,” she added, “who was in a car accident and has to have lifetime care. I look at how he’s been able to blossom and help others, but it’s because he had the care pre-2019. And now these reforms put limits, making it harder for people to get the care they need.”
Kathie Sell, a member of Oak Grove United Methodist Church in Howell, has witnessed the difference a high level of care early on has made in her brother’s life. He suffered a severe brain injury in 1991 because of a car accident.
“He was not expected to survive,” she recounted. “He was in a coma for 2½ weeks. Thanks to Michigan’s no-fault insurance, he really made an incredible recovery. He had the support he needed. He got the treatment and continues to get it to this day. He was 27 at the time, so he’s 59 now. He’s able to work. He drives a car. He walks but uses a wheelchair quite a bit now as he ages.”
She continued, “Because my brother got the care he needed, he has had a pretty normal life, as normal as it can be. He’s been involved with a support group and a work community of persons with disabilities. And having that dignity, they’re not stuck at home by themselves. He’s got a productive life now. And that’s what’s important to me.”
Kathie participated in her first Advocacy Day for her brother and for the survivors she assisted as part of her employment at the Brain Injury Association of Michigan. Now retired, she recalls what happened after the 2019 law changes and notes their impact on her agency.
“After the law changed, things changed a lot for us. Survivors were having more problems getting the resources and the coverage they needed. So many people had to fight hard just to keep the benefits they had paid for. Professionals were going out of business. People that I had worked with for years were losing their jobs. Businesses were closing down.”
As a person of faith, Kathy came to Advocacy Day to fight for changes to the current law. “For me, it’s always been the right thing to do. When I worked at the Brain Injury Association, I felt I was helping people, doing what’s right for humanity. Everybody deserves adequate healthcare. Period. That should be a basic thing. Belonging to The United Methodist Church, I’m glad they’ve taken up the cause because it’s the compassionate thing to do.”
Another change in the 2019 law allows people to pay less on their auto insurance premiums for less coverage. Choosing a lower premium is risky and a false promise because if a person gets into a serious auto accident and requires significant care, the insurance caps purchased at a lower cost would not cover their care, possibly resulting in bankruptcy.
Lisa Fedel, a member of First United Methodist Church in Ann Arbor, was in a serious car accident in 1998. On a trip to Mackinac Island, her family got rear-ended on I-75 by a drunk driver going about 80 mph. They were stopped because of a rollover on the road. Lisa’s older sister, who was eight at the time, was killed in the crash.
Lisa went through multiple throat surgeries, brain surgery at the Cleveland Clinic to remove scar tissue causing seizures, foot surgery to correct a damaged area, and other treatments because of the accident, including medication she’ll have to take for the rest of her life. All this care was covered without question under Michigan’s no-fault auto insurance fund.
“I’m going to have to deal with this for the rest of my life,” said Lisa. “I know there will be people out there getting injured in accidents going forward. I don’t want anyone who goes through what I went through to have to pay and deal with all this stuff. It’s not fair for them. I know with my disability, holding down my job was never that easy, with added stress and anxiety.”
Lisa came to Advocacy Day with her father, Mike, to stand up for herself, her family, and all those negatively impacted by the 2019 law reforms. She hopes that telling her personal story will motivate legislators to make the necessary fixes to increase care for those catastrophically injured in auto accidents from a state-run fund they’ve paid into.
“Every night when I go to bed, I say, ‘Hey, God, I just want to tell you that I’m worried about my safety, but more than that, the safety of everyone out there on the roads. Let’s be honest. It’s a dangerous world. With distracted driving, there are so many more dangers than just people driving drunk.”
Mike ended the conversation by commenting on the intersection of faith and politics in relation to this year’s Advocacy Day. Our United Methodist faith leads us to hear Jesus’ call to be salt, to influence our society with values such as mercy, fairness, compassion, and preserving dignity.
“There’s a level at which this is just good policy,” he said. “But I think there is another aspect of the whole call to take care of people who need assistance and help. And this is just an easy one. The money [for this coverage] was there, the thing was in place. So, we do what we can to make a positive change.”
Last Updated on March 24, 2025