Starting July 1, 2026, Ontario’s making most accident benefits optional to give you more control over your coverage.
Standard medical, rehabilitation and attendant care benefits are still mandatory, with the option to upgrade.
Here’s how this change impacts your upcoming renewal.
1. Your policy will renew with the new accident benefits plan
On your renewal date, your accident benefits will automatically switch over to the new plan. Don’t worry, you’ll keep the same coverage and limits you had before – but now, you can customize them to suit your needs.
2. It affects who’s covered and how you make certain claims
On top of making most accident benefits optional, Ontario’s introduced two more big changes that’ll impact you and others. These changes start on July 1, 2026 – regardless of your renewal date.
How you make medical and rehabilitation claims
If you have both auto insurance and a workplace or private benefits and you’re injured in a car accident, your auto insurance will now pay first for medical and rehabilitation costs (except for medication).
This change lets you save your workplace or private health insurance for when you need it most. It also means faster approvals, fewer delays, and easier access to treatment so you can focus on recovery – not red tape.
Who’s covered by your accident benefits
Standard accident benefits
Standard accident benefits aren’t changing when it comes to who’s covered. They’ll still cover all passengers (including uninsured passengers), and pedestrians and cyclists (including uninsured pedestrians and cyclists).
Optional accident benefits
The optional accidents you buy will still cover:
- you (the named insured)
- the named insured’s spouse
- dependants of the named insured and of the named insured’s spouse (like children or ageing parents who live with you)
- anyone listed on the policy as drivers of the insured vehicle
The optional accidents you buy will no longer cover:
- pedestrians you may harm in an accident
- cyclists you may harm in an accident
- uninsured passengers that may be harmed in an accident in your vehicle
What should you do now?
- Review your mandatory and optional accident benefits and limits.
- Customize them to suit your situation. Coordinate with work or private benefits if you need to.
- Update your policy if you've changed your accident benefits.
- Download and review your policy documents after to ensure you’ve got the right coverage for you.
This is a big change – that’s why we’re here to help.