Regulator revokes healthcare service providers’ licenses

Visibility360, PDF version to share

By Kate McCaffery | Sept. 14, 2023, 2:09 p.m.

The Financial Services Regulatory Authority of Ontario (FSRA) has suspended or revoked the licenses of 170 health service providers for failing to comply with their annual business reporting obligations.

Where annual information returns (AIR), required by the regulator for service providers licensed under the province’s Insurance Act were found to be deficient, FSRA says individuals were informed about potential enforcement action on multiple occasions.

"It's essential that health service providers comply with their legal annual reporting requirements so we can better protect consumers and help maintain fair and reasonable auto rates," said Huston Loke, executive vice president, market conduct, at FSRA. "This is crucial information as it informs our supervision plan for the sector and identifies trends that could lead to consumer risks and areas of concern."

In a statement about the suspensions, FSRA further states that service providers with suspended or revoked licenses may still provide care to motor vehicle accident victims but cannot receive direct payment from insurance companies. Those with suspended licenses can be searched for on FSRA’s website.

In the Health Service Provider Quick Guide to Compliance issued by the regulator summarizing key legal requirements and most common areas of non-compliance, they say service providers must report accurate statutory accident benefits schedule (SABS) claimant counts to FSRA. They must also maintain an accurate Health Claims for Auto Insurance (HCAI) roster. “Within 10 days of an employee leaving the participating facility, or upon receiving a request from a rostered health professional to be removed from the HCAI, the service provider must add an end date to the rostered health professional’s record,” they write. The short document also itemizes a number of recordkeeping priorities, including verifying claimant’s identities.

“Service providers must take all reasonable steps to verify the identity of SABS claimants. Service providers must verify that goods and services are being provided to the person who was involved in the motor vehicle accident.”