Extra Insurance Coverage
Accident Benefits
You can choose to increase your maximum level of coverage for accident benefits. Such additional, or "top-up" benefits, include:
- an optional income replacement benefit
- an optional medical, rehabilitation and attendant care benefit
- an optional caregiver and dependant care benefit, and
- an optional death and funeral benefit
You can buy any or all of the optional benefits described below. You can also buy indexed accident benefits, which are kept in line with the Consumer Price Index.
Check to see if you have benefits available to you at work or elsewhere, so that you are not paying for coverage you already have. If you are covered by these benefits elsewhere, you may not need to buy optional benefits. Your broker, agent or insurance company can help you to decide which, if any, optional benefit you may require.
Here's a brief description of each of the benefits:
Income Replacement Benefits
If you become disabled as the result of a car accident, you may be eligible for weekly income replacement benefits of up to $400. If this may not be enough to cover your current income level, you can buy optional income replacement benefits to increase your maximum weekly protection to $600, $800 or $1,000.
Medical, Rehabilitation and Attendant Care Benefits
The standard maximum amount for medical and rehabilitation expenses, such as physiotherapy, chiropractic treatment, dental expenses, etc., is $100,000. If you are catastrophically injured, the maximum is $1,000,000. The standard maximum for attendant care is $72,000. If you are catastrophically injured, the maximum is $1,000,000. You can buy optional benefits which will cover up to $1,000,000 in additional medical, rehabilitation and attendant care expenses, and up to $2,000,000 for catastrophic injuries.
Caregiver Benefits
If you are providing care full-time to dependants and are disabled as the result of a car accident, you are eligible for caregiver benefits. The standard maximum amount for caregiver benefits is $250 per week for one dependant, plus $50 per week for each additional dependant. If you buy optional caregiver benefits, the coverage increases to $325 per week for one dependant, plus $75 per week for each additional dependant.
Dependant Care Benefits
You can only claim optional dependant care benefits if you are employed at the time of the accident and you have to pay for childcare expenses as a result of the accident. Optional dependant care benefits cover up to $75 per week for the first dependant and $25 for each additional dependant.
Death and Funeral Benefits
In the event that you die as a result of a car accident, the standard amount which will be paid is $25,000 to your eligible spouse, $10,000 for each dependant, and a maximum of $6,000 for funeral expenses. If you buy optional benefits, you can increase these amounts to $50,000 to your eligible spouse, $20,000 for each dependant, and $8,000 for funeral expenses.
