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.
What’s changing?
1. How you make medical and rehabilitation claims
Before, you’d use workplace or private benefits first to pay medical and rehabilitation costs if you were injured in a car accident. Your car insurance only kicked in after exhausting those benefits.
Now we’ll pay these claims first (except for medication costs) so you can save your workplace or private health insurance for when you need it most. This means faster approvals, fewer delays, and easier access to treatment so you can focus on recovery – not red tape.
2. Who’s covered by your accident benefits
Standard accident benefits
There are no changes to who’s covered under your standard accident benefits. They’ll still cover all passengers (including uninsured passengers), and pedestrians and cyclists (including uninsured pedestrians and cyclists).
Optional accident benefits
The optional accident benefits 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 accident benefits 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
This is a big change – that’s why we’re here to help.