Ontario PC proposal calls for private insurers to compete with the province's Workplace Safety Insurance Board (WSIB)

Ona

It's like jumping from the frying pan into the fire. The private insurance industry, constantly cutting benefits and treatment (and with a reputation for kicking claimants to the curb with regularity) should be considered a competitor in coverage? In the workplace? Ludicrous. The industry is busy downloading to the taxpayer and OHIP at an unsustainable rate now, taxpayers notice. 30,000+ waiting for hearings at FSCO, and the number grows by the day, adding to that mess is irresponsible.

Posted August 13, 2012 09:17 PM

Scott

Where do I start? Lets start with the fraud (this ones for you Ray). If you check the WSIB's own statistics you will find that employer fraud is much more prevalent than worker fraud, approximately 4% is employer related, while only .003% is worker related.
A "privatized" system is not the way to go as Harry astutely points out. Workers who deserve coverage will be denied and end up on social assistance and being covered by OHIP, should the taxpayer be on the hook for the costs or the employers? Also private insurers, at the first hint of losses, will be quick to raise rates and eventually cost employers more. On the other hand they will fight to reduce benefits for workers and cause increased poverty, thus leading the workers back to social assistance funded by taxpayers, again a drain on everyone but the employer.
It is the employers who asked for this system and they got it, workers would be happy to go back to suing employers if they would like to dismantle the system, I'm certain the judicial system would award much larger sums to workers than WSIB does.
In closing WSIB is the cheapest form of insurance available to employers and privatization will not lessen the burden, only increase it. Also the premiums are not a tax, they are simply premiums like you pay for any insurance.
Hudak and Hillier are clowns, with the latter actually dodging the CRA and suppressing claims in his own business, he should be in jail.

Posted July 25, 2012 07:46 AM

Ray Smith

Another "no fault" system beset by fraud, so many workers take advantage of this system, to get extra time off. I read that Mississauga transit drivers ON AVERAGE have 37 days off a year due to work related injuries....no doubt most will be stress or pain related (non provable)

Posted July 23, 2012 01:20 PM

harry

Here is what will really happen if employers can deal with a private insurer/
The employer will get a policy with an insurer and drop out of WSIB.
The employer's business may get into trouble and the first expense cut will be the premiums.
An employee has an accident and suddenly there is no coverage because the policy was cancelled for non payment.
The only way around this is if the WSIB becomes the insurer of last resort like MVACF. If there is no coverage then the employee goes to thr govt operated WSIB.

The second major problem is the mediation and arbitration system. As everyone is aware there is a 30,000 mediation backlog at FSCO, you don't relly believe that this won't happen with WSIB.

The third problem would be getting qualified, intelligent people to handle the claims. As you are aware the current auto no fault plan isn't working out too well

Posted July 23, 2012 07:15 AM

Thom. Young

Far from overdue in the Canadian market place!!! Properly set up with a public and private arbitrator board the best solution for disability claim processing is always an insurance company. As the facility already exists for claims adjudication by insurers it would simply expand seamlessly into WC claims providing huge savings to private businesses both in the administrative costs and proper use of the income on reserves to set off premium charges.

Posted July 20, 2012 01:15 PM