Ontario Government Consulting On Proposed Service Provider Regulations

The 2013 Ontario Budget included a commitment to introduce legislative amendments that would, if passed, "Give the Financial Services Commission of Ontario (FSCO) authority to license and oversee business practices of health clinics and practitioners who invoice auto insurers". This authority was included in The Prosperous and Fair Ontario Act (Budget Measures), 2013, which received Royal Assent on June 13, 2013. 

The legislation provides regulation-making authority consistent with recommendations made by the Automobile Insurance Anti-Fraud Task Force in 2012. 


The proposed regulations would prescribe:
- Licensing eligibility including grounds for unsuitability
- Designated principal representative eligibility requirements and duties
- Public registry information
Future proposed regulations would be expected to prescribe:
- Business/billing standards of practice
- Listed expenses (e.g. expenses covered by licensing)
- Expenses not covered by licensing
- Licence applicability
- Revocation/Suspension criteria and expedited process
- Licence surrender criteria
- Unfair or deceptive acts or practices
- Administrative monetary penalties
- Consequential amendments to the Statutory Accident Benefits Schedule (SABS) 

The Ontario government's Regulatory Registry is inviting stakeholders and interested parties to provide comments on these proposed regulations (that have yet to be made public).

The deadline for comments is November 24, 2013.