Have your voice heard – Those who do not wish to make an oral presentation but who wish to comment on the issue may send a written submission to the Clerk of the Committee at the address below by 5:00 p.m. on Thursday, January 23, 2014.
News and Views
Time to speak up about car insurance
“Submissions to the Superintendent can be made up to Mar. 31. The usual stakeholders will make their wishes known but now is the time for ordinary people to stand up and make their voices heard. If you have been in a car accident and don’t like how you’ve been treated by your insurance company, or if you feel you have been the subject of an injustice, now is the time to speak up.”
http://www.torontosun.com/2014/01/11/time-to-speak-up-about-car-insurance
Ontario Auto Insurance Three-Year Review – submissions invited
Consumers and stakeholders are invited to provide comments and suggestions on how to ensure a stable, sustainable and competitive auto insurance system, including:
- reducing claim costs
- decreasing regulatory, product and administrative complexity for industry, service providers and consumers
- promoting greater consumer choice and protection
- increasing transparency in communications between insurers, service providers, policyholders and claimants
- improving the availability of auto insurance for individuals and businesses
- basing treatment of motor vehicle accident injuries on scientific and medical evidence, and
-
considering approaches used in other jurisdictions
Please provide written comments no later than March 31, 2014, by email to the attention of Jennifer MacMillan, Senior Policy Consultant, Auto Insurance Policy Unit, FSCO at3YearReview@fsco.gov.on.ca.
http://www.fsco.gov.on.ca/en/auto/Pages/ontario-auto-insurance-3-yr-review.aspx
Read about the last 5 year review: http://www.fsco.gov.on.ca/en/auto/5yr-review/Pages/default.aspx
Ontario Government Tightens Up SABS
The Ontario Government filed amendments to the SABS to tighten up a number of provisions to clarify the policy intent.
http://williehandler.blogspot.ca/2013/12/ontario-government-tightens-up-sabs.html
ONTARIO REGULATION 347/13 made under the INSURANCE ACT Made: December 11, 2013 Filed: December 17, 2013 Published on e-Laws: December 17, 2013 http://www.e-laws.gov.on.ca/html/source/regs/english/2013/elaws_src_regs_r13347_e.htm
2013 Annual Report of the Office of the Auditor General of Ontario – Auto
Auto Insurance, Regulatory Oversight – Follow-up to VFM Section 3.01, 2011 Annual Report.
It’s time our publicly funded health care system takes a good look at what all these poor quality IMEs are costing the system when insurers turn away their own customers for medically required treatments.
Increased volume of claims turned down led to increased mediation and the hiring of outside mediators – that cost the taxpayer another $38.2 million over 3 years. Time to look at the causes of these costs – insurer claims handling practices – and not lay it at the feet of the innocent accident victims. http://www.auditor.on.ca/en/reports_en/en13/401en13.pdf
FAIR submission to the Ontario Dispute Resolution System Interim Report
We see two very fundamental problems that are affecting the volume of cases denied. One is the actions of individual adjusters and the lack of training and inconsistencies in claims handling practices that exists in that part of the industry. The second is the quality of the IMEs and the lack of independence and integrity or quality in these reports that are used to deny claims and delay treatment.
FAIR response to the Ontario Dispute Resolution System Review Interim Report December 2 2013
Other Stakeholder submissions:
Response to the Interim Report on DR System Review – Ontario Rehab Alliance (2)
OTLA’s Submission on The Interim Report of the DRS Review December 2 (3)
Ontario Psychological Association of Ontario Submission to the DRS Interim Report http://opajoomla.knowledge4you.ca/images/Response%20to%20Interim%20Report.pdf
READ the DRS Interim Report: http://www.fin.gov.on.ca/en/consultations/auto/documents/Ontario%20Automobile%20Insurance%20Dispute%20Resolution%20System%20Review_Interim%20Report.pdf
ALL Stakeholder submissions: http://www.fin.gov.on.ca/en/consultations/auto/odrsrs.html
CPSO: New! More doctor-specific information now available on the Public Register
Nothing in here that will help protect auto accident victims from predatory IME providers
http://www.cpso.on.ca/uploadedFiles/CTAs/External_CTAs/docsearch/New-Information-Public-Register.pdf
FAIR receives a generous donation from Oatley Vigmond LLP at the Nov 1, 2013 Conference
FAIR receives a generous donation from Oatley Vigmond LLP at the November 1, 2013 Conference on Auto Insurance, ‘Overcoming Challenges in a Challenging System.
Fair Survivors FAIR would like to thank Oatley Vigmond LLP and all of those who attended and participated in the conference and who generously contributed to FAIR Association of Victims for Accident Insurance Reform. This donation will go a long way in our work to advocate for better, fairer treatment and coverage for all of Ontario’s injured drivers and to bring greater public awareness to the many challenges MVA victims face.