Ontario is making changes to the auto insurance industry to try to combat fraud and reduce rates for drivers.
Finance Minister Charles Sousa says the cost of auto insurance fraud is estimated to be as high as $1.6 billion a year and it’s time to stop it.
He says the government will develop standard treatment plans for common collision injuries such as sprains and whiplash, create independent and neutral examination centres to provide medical assessments for more serious injuries, and establish a Serious Fraud Office to tackle fraud in the system which prompted this question in the legislature from Nipissing MPP Vic Fedeli.

“This is the 4th time they’ve announced an anti fraud office. Their record on auto insurance is embarrassing. Why should anyone believe you will do anything on auto insurance.”

Sousa says they are doing more than opening a fraud office. He says this is a 7 point plan that will provide sustainable reductions in auto insurance rates.

Vic Fedeli says the government has pledged to reduce rates by 15 per cent but at last check they were just at 6.6 per cent.

Fedeli says the government has been promising cuts to insurance rates for years, but premiums are still 55 per cent higher in Ontario than elsewhere in Canada.

 

(files from Canadian Press)

Filed under: finance-minister-charles-sousa, nipissing-mpp-vic-fedeli