State Rep. Doug Wozniak, of Shelby Township, issued the following statement after the Michigan Catastrophic Claims Association announced it will raise the per-insured-vehicle assessment to $220 for the 2019-2020 period (from the current $192):

“This is an outrageous move by the Michigan Catastrophic Claims Association. Our state’s drivers – who pay the highest car insurance rates in the nation – deserve much, much better than this.

“The MCCA fee increase – nearly 15 percent in a single year – reflects a serious problem. It’s become an annual slap in the face to Michigan drivers and continues to dangerously drain their pocketbooks. The annual per-vehicle fee has more than doubled within the last decade – making it tougher and tougher for drivers to afford the car insurance they are mandated to have through state law. It’s no wonder so many in our state are driving without insurance.

“We need true transparency within the MCCA system to get a real understanding of why these increases are an annual occurrence. We need true transparency to understand whether fee increases are needed at all.

“It’s time for a complete, systematic review of everything that goes into making Michigan’s car insurance system so expensive. That’s why the Michigan House created the Select Committee on Reducing Car Insurance Rates. We can’t continue to allow special interests to make big bucks at the expense of Michigan drivers and their families. We need reform. We need it now. And I will continue to work with my colleagues in the Legislature to make it happen.”