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Drive towards national accreditation of Canada’s car repairers stalls in favour of local approaches


October 12, 2010   by Canadian Underwriter


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Differences between Canada’s regionalized auto insurance models appear to be partly responsible for stalling – if not killing – a movement for national accreditation of collision repairers.
Larry Jeffries of CARSTAR Automotive Canada gave a presentation about the current lack of national accreditation programs, which would enable insurers to recognize and reward their repairers according to their capability.
In its Sept. 25, 2010 CCIF Montreal Meeting Report, the CCIF noted that the move towards a national accreditation and standards system stalled in 2008 because of “insufficient common ground between all stakeholder groups” (including insurers).
“The rationale for an accreditation and standards system remains valid, but with such variations in the industry profile and insurance model from province to province, there may be more interest in provincial programs that can be developed according to the local situation and needs,” the CCIF meeting report says.
Jeffries suggested it might be time to revisit the national accreditation issue, in light of the various piecemeal approaches already in the works.
“In Canada, the repair networks are developing their own programs, some government-run provincial insurer programs are in place and in the private insurance provinces, there are different insurer-developed programs,” the CCIF notes in its report. “The lack of consistency, particularly for repairers on several insurer programs, seems to be at odds with insurers’ drive for increased efficiency and their need to cut costs, which could be realized through reducing administration and oversight of each claim.”


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