News and Views

On February 19, March 11, and March 19, 2013 FAIR wrote open letters to Ontario’s Colleges and our Government about reducing the fraud in Ontario’s auto accident insurance by way of holding medico-legal ‘experts’ who perform independent medical examinations IMEs accountable. We did not get any response from these stakeholders and so we wrote the September 16, 2013 letter and the responses FAIR has received are listed below. For further information see our Media Releases page.

Reducing Fraud with Transparency in Ontario’s Independent Medical Examinations – Open Letter September 16, 2013

AIAC Oct 3-13 response to FAIR Open Letter dated September 16 2013

FAIR response to AIAC Oct 3 letter – sent October 22 2013

The Canadian Centre of Excellence in Injury Law response to Three Strikes

College of Physicians and Surgeons has launched a multi-staged initiative that will see them examine their information-sharing practices and determine how they might make more information available about decisions and processes. The College is inviting feedback on this consultation from the profession, the public and other stakeholders. Names of individual participants will not be posted, however the names of organizations will be posted. Check the CPSO website for further details about posting guidelines. Deadline for feedback: November 11, 2013 http://policyconsult.cpso.on.ca/?page_id=2416 , http://www.cpso.on.ca/whatsnew/councilupdates/default.aspx?id=8280 Transparency Principles http://policyconsult.cpso.on.ca/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/Transparency-Principles.pdf

Financial Services Commission of Ontario : The Insurance Policy Unit at the Industrial and Financial Policy Branch of the Ministry of Finance is seeking comments on the proposed regulations that “Give the Financial Services Commission of Ontario (FSCO) authority to license and oversee business practices of health clinics and practitioners who invoice auto insurers”. Comments are due by November 24, 2013  http://www.ontariocanada.com/registry/view.do?postingId=14282&language=en

http://www.ontla.on.ca/web/committee-proceedings/committee_transcripts_details.do?locale=en&Date=2013-09-30&ParlCommID=8958&BillID=&Business=Automobile+insurance+review&DocumentID=27239

The intent of Rule 41.01 is unachievable if prior adverse comments about an expert witness are not allowed…Is it fair to injured, vulnerable litigants to do nothing when Ontario’s arbitrators call the reports they must rely on to decide eligibility to benefits “inaccurate, failed, misleading, defective, incomplete, deficient, not correct and flawed”. (http://www.fairassociation.ca/the-independent-medical-examination-imeie/) Lowering the standard of ‘expert testimony’ has lowered the possibility for justice and created an unsafe environment for injured auto accident victims.

FAIR submission to the Ontario Dispute Resolution System Review September 20 2013

http://www.fin.gov.on.ca/en/consultations/auto/odrsr.html

The College has launched a multi-staged initiative that will see us examine our information-sharing practices and determine how we might make more information available about decisions and processes. The College is inviting feedback on this consultation from the profession, the public and other stakeholders. Names of individual participants will not be posted, however the names of organizations will be posted. Check the CPSO website for further details about posting guidelines. Deadline for feedback: November 11, 2013

http://policyconsult.cpso.on.ca/?page_id=2416

http://www.cpso.on.ca/whatsnew/councilupdates/default.aspx?id=8280

Transparency Principles http://policyconsult.cpso.on.ca/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/Transparency-Principles.pdf

Cracking down on fraud or cutting costs does not mean that cracking the backs of the vulnerable and cognitively impaired citizens is the right thing to do. The interests of big business (profit, profit, profit) should not surpass those interests of the most injured and disabled among us or our society as a whole. Allowing further cuts to benefits to support the cuts to premiums will only shift the responsibilities and costs to our society and to the taxpayers. Surely accident victims deserve better treatment than to be abandoned by those who are supposed to be looking out for them in a time of need – first by the insurer who fails to live up to the promise of coverage and then by  the government who fails to act to protect their interests.

FAIR submission to the Review of Ontario Regulation 237-13 Industry-wide Rate Reduction Target September 30 2013