IBC urges Ontario insurers to prepare for HCAI

Insurers should count on an average of roughly eight weeks lead time to prepare for enrolment in Ontarios new Health Claims for Auto Insurance [HCAI] system, an electronic method for collecting and transmitting auto insurance health claims data.
All 180 insurers currently licensed to sell auto insurance in the province will be required by law to enroll with HCAI by Feb. 1, 2008.
In a recent media briefing, IBC laid out some steps insurers might follow in preparation for enrolment in the new electronic HCAI system.
The Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC), for example, recommends that insurers claims staff spend some time to familiarize themselves with and train on the HCAI system.
It also recommends that insurers appoint an HCAI coordinator to act as a key contact between claims and IT staff as the insurer prepares to integrate electronically with the HCAI system.
More recommendations and information about HCAI is posted at www.hcaiinfo.ca
The new HCAI system, which insurers have paid almost Cdn$20 million to develop, is designed to allow for the electronic submission, review and approval of Ontarios key auto insurance claims forms, including OCF-18, 22,23, and 21 forms.
According to the IBC, for insurers, the data contained in HCAI will allow for better monitoring of medical and rehab trends. In addition, insurers will be able to gain a better understanding of the costs associated with health care for auto collision injuries.
The IBC says the Financial Services Commission of Ontario (FSCO), health care providers and insurers will have restricted access to anonymized information contained in the HCAI database for the purpose of analysis.
For consumers, the accelerated, electronic process for submitting claims and treatment information is expected to cut down on the number of instances of telephone and fax tag between health care providers and insurers, the IBC said in its briefing. As a result, health care providers will be able to deliver quicker treatment to auto collision victims. Quicker treatment is often cited in health care research as a way of reducing the seriousness of injuries.
Thus far, on the first day of HCAIs operation on Apr.2, 2007, Gore Mutual and State Farm Insurance have enrolled in the system as part of a pilot project. Security National is scheduled to be enrolled in the new system by April 23.