FSRA Auto Insurance sector (including Health Service Provider) Stakeholder Advisory Committee meeting with the Board of Directors
Summary of the meeting of May 1, 2025
25 Sheppard Avenue West (in-person) and MS Teams (virtually)
Stakeholder Advisory Committee members present:
Amanda Dean – Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC)
Craig Bran – Co-operators Group
Donald Kunkel – Lifemark Health Group
Donna Ince – Definity Financial Corporation
Faith Kaplan – Kaplan and Levitt Psychologists
Laurie Davis – Ontario Rehab Alliance
Melissa Rai – Desjardins
Mandy Hillhouse – Coachman Insurance Company and SGI Canada
Sarah Hutchison – Ontario Physiotherapy Association
Tyler Kroetsch – Farm Mutual Re
Julie Nolette – Intact Financial Corporation
Regrets:
Chris Floyd – Ontario Teachers Insurance Plan (OTIP) / RAEO Insurance Brokers Inc. and Orbit Insurance Service
Board members present:
Joanne De Laurentiis - Chair
Joseph Iannicelli – Board member
Stewart Lyons – Board member
Ali Salahuddin – Board member
Rob Wellstood – Board member
Peggy McCallum – Board member
Lucie Tedesco – Board member
Steve Geist – Board member
Doug Turnbull – Board member
Management members present:
Dexter John - Chief Executive Officer - CEO
Glen Padassery – Executive Vice President, Policy and Auto/Insurance Products
Jordan Soloway – Executive Vice President, Legal & Enforcement
Meghan Kilty – Chief Public Affairs Officer
Chris Georgakopoulos – Director, Auto Policy
Chun Li Lin - Board Services Coordinator, Legal and Enforcement
Cong Wang – Chief Actuary, Auto Insurance Operational Risk Supervision, Auto Insurance Products
Danelle Brown - Corporate Secretary & Deputy General Counsel
Erica Hiemstra – Head, Insurance Conduct
Eugene Shmeilin – Senior Policy Analyst, Auto Strategy, Policy
Jacqueline Tse – Senior Manager, Market Conduct – P&C Insurance
Jonas Schwab-Pflug – Senior Manager, Auto Reform, Policy
Lisa LoPiccolo – Policy Analyst, Auto Strategy, Policy
Melissa Grover – Senior Manager, Auto Strategy, Policy
Michelle Dodokin – Head, Auto Insurance Supervision, Auto Insurance Products
Nada Fraij – Director, Product, Ratings and Underwriting, Auto Insurance Products
Sharon Tellis - Director, Auto Transformation and Strategy Execution, Auto Insurance Products
Miki Amakawa – Director, Market Conduct – P&C Insurance
Saad Opal – Senior Manager, Products and Approvals, Auto Insurance Products
Stevie Madder – Senior Manager, Market Conduct – P&C Insurance
General comments:
The Chair of the Board welcomed the Committee and introduced new Board members. The Chair explained that FSRA established the joint Stakeholder Advisory Committee for Auto / Health Service Providers (Auto SAC) to foster ongoing dialogue with FSRA’s regulated sectors and provide strategic insight. Annual engagement with the Board supports this by offering a broader perspective to inform long-term direction and policy outcomes that ultimately serve the public interest.
The Executive Vice-President, Policy and Auto/Insurance Products, also welcomed attendees.
Committee members highlighted several important issues, impacting their respective sectors and consumers in general.
The following issues were discussed:
- Insurer members expressed their commitment to implement auto insurance accident benefits reforms by the July 1, 2026, effective date and noted some execution risks and challenges. These concerns are being addressed through several industry working groups.
- FSRA will collaborate with and support industry on auto reform implementation.
- Insurer members support FSRA’s efforts to modernize automobile rating and underwriting supervision, including through a new accreditation process.
- Tariff: Insurer members stated that there is uncertainty which has contributed to some market instability, challenges with underwriting and prospective rate setting, and elevated cost pressures.
- Auto theft: Insurer members noted that while auto theft is still an issue, it is decreasing, with lower theft frequency relative to prior years.
- Towing and storage: Insurer members noted that towing and storage issues contribute to increasing costs (impacting premiums) and create public safety risks, including incidents of aggressive tactics, threats and violence against drivers and claim adjustors. Members acknowledged that FSRA is not responsible to solve these issues but sought FSRA’s support to raise these issues with the Ministries of Finance, Transportation and Attorney General, recognizing FSRA’s limited mandate in this area.
- FSRA will continue to raise the issues of towing and storage with relevant Ministries.
- Health service provider members noted that the Professional Services Guideline (PSG) /Attendant Care Hourly Rate Guideline (ACHRG) rates/fees have not increased in over a decade, making it hard to find and retain qualified medical practitioners. They indicated that low pay causes skilled healthcare professionals to leave the auto insurance sector, impacting access to care.
- FSRA is conducting a review of the rates/fees in the PSG and ACHRG as part of its auto reform reviews and is currently finalizing its recommendations to government.
- Health service provider members also noted an increased frequency of partial denials.
- FSRA is reviewing this issue.
- Health service provider members noted that frequent insured no-shows and cancellations for insurer-initiated examinations are a significant issue. Currently, there are no effective deterrents under current legislation, leading to inefficiencies and increased costs in the system.
- FSRA will engage the Ministry of Finance on the issue of no-show and cancellation fees for medical assessments.
- Health service provider members raised concerns about perceived duplication of regulatory oversight for regulated health professionals regulated by both their health colleges and FSRA licensing.
- FSRA clarified its supervisory role ensuring compliance with billing and business practices set out in regulation. FSRA’s mandate does not extend to the broader responsibilities governed by the health colleges.
The Chair thanked the Committee for the candid discussion about, and insights into, these topics, which will help guide and shape FSRA’s strategic direction in sectorial issues and priorities.
The Committee commended FSRA’s transparency and responsiveness. They highlighted the importance of ongoing stakeholder engagement to support reforms and protect consumers.
The meeting ended with a shared commitment to ongoing collaboration.