FSCO outlines timelines to implement outstanding, key features of the auto insurance reform

Ontario’s insurance regulator has laid out some clear timelines to complete studies and consultation related to a new catastrophic impairment definition and a new minor injury treatment protocol – two key features of the province’s auto insurance reforms.
Philip Howell, CEO and superintendent of financial services at the Financial Services Commission of Ontario (FSCO), outlined timelines for each in a speech at the Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC)’s 10th annual regulatory affairs symposium on Nov. 4.
Howell said he anticipates a long-awaited review of the catastrophic injury definition to be completed sometime during the next four to six months.
He said this timeline includes time to consult with the insurance industry on the results of the study of catastrophic impairment, which will be scientific and evidence-based. The research is expected to lead to a new definition of catastrophic impairment, which has recently been cast into doubt by almost diametrically opposed judicial decisions.
Howell also said work is underway that will lead to a new treatment protocol replacing the current, interim Minor Injury Guideline (MIG).
The new protocol is expected to take two-and-a-half to three years to develop, Howell said, with a final completion date set for 2013.
Howell said the new protocol for treating minor injuries will reflect medical and scientific best practices in the treatment of dealing with victims of minor auto injuries. The research will draw on a framework established by the World Health Organization (WHO).