Apr 8 2011
The Alliance of Community Medical Rehabilitation Providers is urging the government to protect seriously injured car accident victims when it considers the report of the Catastrophic Impairment Expert Panel. The report is scheduled to be released next week.
"A reduction in benefits for those who've been seriously injured will only serve to help the auto insurance companies," said Nick Gurevich of the Alliance. "Accident victims deserve to receive the healthcare and assistive living services they require. We are worried that the revised definition of catastrophic impairment will result in a reduction in benefits."
The report is expected to propose changes to the definition of "catastrophic impairment", and could leave to further cuts to insurance benefits to the most seriously injured.
The Ontario government signaled in the 2011 Budget that it would tackle car insurance fraud, instead of taking aim and further cutting benefits to accident victims. The Alliance supports this approach.
The Alliance strongly advocates for an expansive approach to the definition of "catastrophic impairment" which would take into consideration all of the accident victim's injuries and needs - physical, psychological and other impairments.
Source:
ALLIANCE OF COMMUNITY MEDICAL REHABILITATION PROVIDERS and ONTARIO BUDGET 2011