Buying More Insurance Protection > Accident Benefit Changes in Ontario – Part 8

A useful article last week in The Globe and Mail by Ms Romanov on insurance rates and the effect of your accident history, as well as having young drivers on your policy.

With the introduction of the new SABS (Statutory Accident Benefits Schedule) in Ontario in September, 2010, consumers should be aware that now there is more to consider, in terms of optional coverage, when renewing their car insurance policy.

For example, caregiving and housekeeping benefits were previously included in the standard auto policy but now are eliminated for non-catastrophic (CAT) claims.  If you would like that optional coverage now, then you have to pay a higher premium when renewing – see the new SABS (Statutory Accident Benefits Schedule) here.

Medical and rehabilitation benefits used to have a $100,000 policy limit and this is now reduced to $50,000 for non-catastrophic (CAT) claims.  You can now purchase $100,000 with optional coverage.

On the issue of tort claims, you can now purchase additional coverage to lower the tort deductible (which has been $30,000 since 2003) to $20,000 – see Ontario Regulation 36/10.  For background on the issue of the Bill 198 deductible and the accompanying “threshold” test on pain and suffering damages, see our historical blogs on the Bill 198 threshold issue.