They say the character of a society is judged by how we treat the most vulnerable amongst us. Those who live with a disability, whether physical or mental, that restricts their ability to work to support themselves and their families fall squarely into this group. The purpose of the Ontario Disability Support Program is to provide income to these individuals so they can survive. It’s not a lot of money, and the benefits are notoriously difficult to obtain, but it serves as a crucial lifeline for many people in this province.
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Significant changes to insurance regulation in Saskatchewan
The Saskatchewan government has set the stage for significant changes to insurance regulation in the province with the enactment of The Insurance Act on May 14, 2015. When the government proclaims The Insurance Act into force, it will completely replace the current Saskatchewan Insurance Act, a statute that was first introduced in 1913 and has remained relatively unchanged over the past century.
http://www.ilstv.com/significant-changes-to-insurance-regulation-in-saskatchewan/
Advocacy groups to hold rally protesting “very shady” industry practices
In response to last week’s advancement of Bill 91, Building Ontario Up Act, two advocacy groups are organizing a public protest to be held on June 3rd at Queen’s Park, Toronto called #Rally4AccidentVictims.
FAIR Association of Victims for Accident Insurance Reform and the Accident Benefit Coalition are not just protesting provincial government, however.
The groups feel that insurance companies also unfairly benefit from the legislation, and allege that provincial government’s proposals to reduce coverage for the catastrophically injured is uncalled for, given the industry’s profit margins.
http://www.insurancebusiness.ca/news/advocacy-groups-to-hold-rally-protesting-very-shady-industry-practices-191749.aspx
STOP REDUCING ONTARIO’S ACCIDENT BENEFITS- victims speak out!
Daniel’s video: https://youtu.be/JYgFdkAp-Go
Nick’s video: https://youtu.be/fm5hiu89J60
Kevin’s video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rh1rm_FXa1Y&feature=youtu.be
ACCIDENT BENEFIT COALITION (ABC)
The Accident Benefit Coalition (ABC) consists of a membership of Ontarians concerned with issues surrounding the provinces’ mandatory Accident Benefits. It was founded by NeuroConnect and FAIR Association and is committed to advocating for Accident Victims in Ontario.
Ontario Government Abandons Auto Accident Victims
Ontario Government Abandons Auto Accident Victims
TORONTO, May 28, 2015 /CNW/ – Last week the Standing Committee on Finance and Economic Affairs met with the public and industry stakeholders to consult on Bill 91, Building Ontario Up Act.
Our legislators chose not to invite auto accident victims to the consultation process and instead opted to look at empty chairs rather than look auto accident victims in the eye and listen to their concerns.
Ontario already has the highest premiums in Canada and the lowest coverage with 80% of claims capped at $3500for med/rehab. As pointed out by the Ontario Auditor General in 2011, about half of all claims are turned down by insurers and this means that our benefits are also too difficult to access.
Our government is proposing to cut $1 million dollars in coverage from catastrophically injured auto accident victims who currently have $2 million in coverage. Seriously injured victims will see their coverage drop from $86,000 to $65,000.
It appears that our government hasn’t considered the recent study that revealed that Ontario drivers were overcharged by their insurance companies by $840 million in 2013 and that we have overpaid insurers by $3-4 billion dollars since 2001.
It is unacceptable to be giving away money to wealthy insurance companies who are already using some very shady business practices to deny a record number of claims.
Victims are downloaded to OHIP, Ontario Works (OW), Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP) and CPP disability. These programs are already overburdened and don’t offer the specialized treatments that many victims require so they will simply be left to fend for themselves.
Our government is giving insurers a financial gift by allowing insurers to pay injured victims less and simultaneously download the cost of victims to the unsuspecting taxpayers who are also the same drivers looking for a break on insurance premiums.
So what are we going to do about it?
We invite the public and Ontario’s auto accident victims to join FAIR and the Accident Benefit Coalition on Wednesday June 3rd, 2015 from 12 pm- 1:30 pm at Queen’s Park at the #Rally4AccidentVictims.
We hope you will sign the petition asking the Government to Stop Reducing Accident Benefits.
FAIR Association of Victims for Accident Insurance Reform is a not-for-profit organization of MVA victims and their supporters.
SOURCE FAIR Association of Victims for Accident Insurance Reform
For further information: Media Contact: Rhona DesRoches, 705 543-0574, fairautoinsurance@gmail.com
New definitions key for Ontario auto reforms
The latest Ontario auto reforms introduced in the recent provincial budget, are unique compared to past measures, a vp at Aviva Canada says.
Karin Ots, senior vp of regulatory and government relations, said the Liberals have performed a balancing act of sorts by focusing on consumer protection but also trying to drive costs out of the system “to help justify bringing premiums down.”
She said that one of the biggest cost drivers in the system has been catastrophic impairment and the definition is outdated. So insurers are pleased that the government is committed to “put out a new catastrophic impairment definition, one that’s aligned better with medical practices and knowledge today.”
CPSO Transparency: By-Law Amendment a Step in the Right Direction
Most complaints to the College of Physicians and Surgeons (“CPSO”) are made because patients want to ensure that the same medical mistake that they were subjected to doesn’t happen to someone else.
Insurance premiums in Ontario may be affected by for profit clinics
Ontario is home to the highest auto insurance premiums in Canada, and rates for many drivers continue to rise, even if they have immaculate driving records. There are many factors that affect the cost of insurance coverage, but for-profit medical centers and rehabilitation clinics may be one of the reasons why premiums are on the rise. Notably, bodily injury claims in Ontario are significantly higher than they are in other provinces, perhaps due to the over-utilization of medical services and over-treatment.
http://www.liveinsurancenews.com/auto-insurance-premiums-continue-to-rise-in-ontario/
Privacy commissioner calls for prosecution of third snooping case
Ontario’s privacy commissioner is calling on the government to prosecute health workers who allegedly snooped into medical records — for the second time this year and the third time in history.
Why is our Government allowing Ontario’s wealthy insurers to slash benefits to the most injured of auto accident victims?
The 2015 budget is an absolute windfall for Ontario’s insurers who are the beneficiaries of Building Ontario Up by building up their already substantial profits on the backs of Ontario’s seriously injured auto accident victims.
Consumers and accident victims alike are already being short-changed when the coverage they purchased isn’t there when they need it. According to the Auditor General’s 2011 report on auto insurance about half of all claims end up in court trying to get what they paid for and that isn’t any more acceptable than purchasing a car and finding out that the brakes only work half the time.
Ontario’s wealthy insurance companies have had an “easy ride for over 20 years” according to the recent Schulich School of Business report on Ontario’s insurance industry. Insurers have overcharged Ontario drivers by billions and are making 17% on their investments while claimants, who have paid in good faith, are left hanging out to dry at a time when they need assistance.
FAIR Bill 91 submission to Standing Committee on Finance and Economic Affairs May 25 2015