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Dispute Over County's Insurance Refunds Reaches Top Court

State Lawmakers and Governor Gretchen Whitmer are now forced to work together on Michigan's coronavirus repsonse after a state Supreme Court ruling upended the Governor's emergency powers.
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WKAR-MSU
Michigan's Supreme Court building.

The Michigan Supreme Court will hear arguments in a dispute over health insurance premiums refunded to Genesee County government.

The county drain commissioner, Jeff Wright, and others are suing Genesee County, saying it should have shared premium refunds from Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan.

Blue Cross refunded money if premiums exceeded costs. But Wright says the county kept some money that was paid by employees.

The county says it has governmental immunity to Wright's unjust enrichment claim, but the Michigan appeals court rejected that argument last August.

In an order Wednesday, the Supreme Court says it will explore whether the appeals court made the right call.

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