Insurance Business readers didn’t have a lot of love for NDP MPP Jagmeet Singh, the author of the bill that has pegged auto insurance premium reductions at 15 per cent, and his recent criticism of changes being made to the Statutory Accident Benefits Schedule.
“Mr. Singh knows exactly what he is doing. His job is to upset the apple cart through the support of his leader,” wrote Paul C. Armstrong. “He also needs to maintain that ‘talked about’ situation to support his identity as critic and constituency rep. One would think that the socialists have fiddled their co-partners, the Liberals.”
The original article, NDP’s ‘mean spirited’ comments draw IBC’s ire, had the
Insurance Bureau of Canada’s Ralph Palumbo, vice-president for Ontario, responding to statements by Singh in Queen’s Park that the recent changes to the SABS were “mean spirited,” as it pertained to attendant care coverage.
“Attendant care coverage is not limited to those catastrophically injured in an accident as stated by the MPP,” Palumbo told Insurance Business. “The SABS provides for Attendant Care benefits of up to $3,000 per month for non-catastrophic injuries as well as up to $6000 per month for catastrophic injuries.”
Another reader, also named Paul, lamented that people want access to a bottomless well of benefits. (continued.)
#pb#
“It's a sad reality that those who complain the most about the cost of insurance also demand no limits to the amounts of coverage available. As with many people, there is a disconnect in Mr. Singh's mind between the cost of the product and the benefits provided,” he wrote. “He just doesn't seem to get the concept that premiums are pooled to pay for claims and that the claims cannot exceed the amount in the pool. Like many, he assumes insurers are independently wealthy and can just pay whatever he demands regardless of how much premium is charged.”
He went on to suggest that this perception will continue unless the industry can better explain how insurance works in Ontario.
“We will continue to have problems with Mr. Singh until someone takes the time to explain to him the very basics of insurance,” he added.
