Ontario’s mandatory minimum accident benefits — $65,000 combined medical/rehab/attendant care; $400/week income replacement; $3,000/month attendant care — appear reasonable in isolation. In the context of a serious injury requiring two or more years of intensive rehabilitation, specialist care, and personal support, these limits are inadequate. Most seriously injured Ontarians discover this gap only after benefits are exhausted.
Ontario’s Insurance Act allows policyholders to purchase optional enhanced accident benefits at modest premium increases: increased income replacement (from $400 to $1,000/week); increased medical and rehabilitation benefits (from $65,000 to $1,000,000); increased attendant care (from $36,000 aggregate to $1,000,000 — for non-catastrophic injuries); and optional caregiver, housekeeping, and dependent care benefits.
The premium perspective: Increasing income replacement from $400 to $1,000/week typically costs less than $15/month in additional premium. Increasing medical and rehabilitation benefits to $1 million typically costs under $30/month. These are among the most cost-effective insurance purchases available to Ontario drivers.
For non-catastrophic injuries, the standard $65,000 medical and rehabilitation pool can be exhausted in 18–24 months of active treatment for a seriously injured claimant. Optional OPCF 47 coverage increasing this to $1 million provides catastrophic-level benefits for a fraction of the premium difference. If you review nothing else about your auto policy, review this option.