The Insurance Corporation of British Columbia (ICBC) is planning to rank the province’s auto repair shops to keep rising claims costs in check.
The provincial insurer said that the repair shops will be ranked according to performance, and that the rankings will be displayed on ICBC’s shop-locator webpage for consumers to view.
According to BC attorney general David Eby, the rankings will give drivers information to make informed decisions when it comes to having their vehicles repaired. The list will also encourage shops to be top performers, the attorney general added.
“After consulting with industry leaders, the redesign of the collision and glass repair programs will improve transparency and accountability of repair shops for drivers who get into accidents and need to choose which repair shop they go to,” Eby stated in a release.
“By publicly ranking the repair shops by performance, where repair shops strive to be the top performers, we expect that this will help curb some of the rising claims costs and pressures that ICBC is facing.”
ICBC said that the ranking will result in savings, in the form of improved repair shop performance, faster processing of claims, faster repair cycle times, and more autonomy for high-performing suppliers.
Along with the decision to publish a ranking list, ICBC is also encouraging glass repair shops to repair windshields instead of replacing them, whenever possible.
“In many cases, a small crack or chip in a windshield can be repaired instead of replacing the entire windshield. ICBC’s comprehensive coverage for private passenger vehicles allows customers to have their windshield chip repaired for free with no deductible,” the insurer said in a release.
Vancouver Sun reported that the new the new glass program will take effect on March 02, 2020. But the ranking system will not be made available until significant data has been collected.
The Crown corporation – which has been considering several different options in recent months to cut down on surging claims costs and save itself financially – was asked by Eby in December to delay its submission for rate applications for 2020. Eby insisted that the insurer first allow more time for insurance rate reforms to take effect before it could raise prices.
ICBC is expected to submit a new rate application next month.
