Here's my issue with it (I'm a layman, and coming at it from a "Joe Consumer" angle).
The insurance people all tell me that *I* benefit because it greatly reduces court battles and speeds payments up. But I think *they* are the beneficiaries, not me, because instead of litigation against other corporations (with their knowledge base, experience, deep pockets, on-staff lawyers and other untold weapons), they merely have to do battle with me to hold their costs down.
My wife has lost her hearing after being hit by a car while walking in a parking lot to a lacrosse game. For high school teacher this is a pretty huge setback if we can't get it fixed. So far our auto insurance company has been okay (paying expenses including ENT and neurosurgeon visits), but the rep I deal with has already warned me that we are going to be stuck with expenses like co-pays, deductibles and post treatment costs such as hearing aids if it comes to that). And who knows what my already-high auto insurance premium will become after they've incurred these expenses (even though my wife wasn't driving or even inside a car when this happened).
Maybe I'm being unrealistic, and I know this is an over-simplification, but it seems like they should be attacking the driver's insurance company and demanding payments on my behalf. But instead, the companies have gotten together and come up with this cozy system where they exert pressure on me, a clueless policy holder with no experience or legal acumen, instead of each other.
I'm not asking for legal advice; I'm actually meeting with my lawyer at 4:15 today. Just wanted to hear what you guys thought, and I guess vent a little. The last three weeks have been tough.
Thanks...