Our mission statement says it all: Protecting Manitobans from the human and economic cost of automobile accidents.

At Manitoba Public Insurance, we live that mission every day. Our coverage provides drivers with better value than anywhere else in the country. And, just as important, people aren’t afraid to use this protection. Manitobans report claims at a higher average rate than almost anyone else in the country because our claims process is simple, we don’t penalize people for using their insurance, and we ensure people get the benefits and coverage they are entitled to.

In short, at Manitoba Public Insurance we’re dedicated to covering claims, not avoiding them.

Unlike some insurers, who pick and choose their customers based on how much they use the product, we offer physical damage coverage to every Manitoban who can legally register a vehicle. Through our Personal Injury Protection Plan (PIPP), any Manitoban injured in an automobile collision in Canada or the United States has full access to all the care, rehabilitation and financial compensation they require.

In many other jurisdictions, escalating premiums are prompting drivers to pay for more of their own accident repairs instead of making insurance claims. In New Brunswick, for example, drivers file only half the claims, per capita, that Manitobans do. A study by the Collision Industry Action Group last year found that across Canada insurance companies were paying for only 50 per cent of the total work done by repair and auto body businesses, compared with 66 per cent just three years before. The study said drivers, fearing rising insurance rates, were increasingly choosing to foot the bill for accident repairs between $1,000 and $12,000.

That’s not an issue in this province, where Manitoba Public Insurance is committed to delivering all the benefits claimants are entitled to, with the highest levels of customer service. Year after year, Manitoba Public Insurance provides more benefits to claimants than almost any insurance company in Canada . Our corporate goal is to pay out more than 85 cents of every premium dollar in the form of claims benefits. That compares with an average payout of about 70 cents per premium dollar among private insurers.

When Manitoba introduced the Personal Injury Protection Plan in 1994, the program’s goals were simple:

• shift injury compensation from minor injuries with no real economic loss to enhance benefits for those severely injured;
• provide claimants with benefits in a more timely fashion; and
• provide Manitobans with premium stability.

Ten years later, no one can deny the insurance rate stability that Manitoba enjoys. The PIPP program has ended the uncertainty associated with the court process and delivers benefits quickly to people who have experienced economic loss. It has ushered in a new customer-focused case manager model that enables claimants to recover twice as fast, and has provided significantly more benefits to claimants who are catastrophically injured.

Manitoba Public Insurance can continually outperform private insurance companies because its mandate is to break even and provide the best possible value. By eliminating the profit motive, the company can keep operating costs at half those of the private sector on average. Programs established by Manitoba Public Insurance enable auto body shops to repair vehicles at 37 per cent less cost and still exceed international quality standards.

While Manitoba represents four per cent of Canada’s population, the province accounts for 70 per cent of all Canadian repair shops certified as Gold Class by the Inter-Industry Conference on Auto Repair. The net result—vehicles are repaired more safely and get back on the road more quickly.

Manitobans know they are getting good value for their premium dollars. More important, they know they can use this coverage whenever they need to make a claim, no matter how large or small.

Left: PIPP addresses two public concerns — rate stability and equitable compensation for injury victims. Besides eliminating costly settlements for minor claims, PIPP emphasizes the care and rehabilitation of severely injured claimants.

Above: In some provinces, filing a claim can mean a hefty rate increase. As a result, many drivers choose to pay for accident repairs themselves. The ability to use the coverage you’ve purchased is an incentive to repair your vehicle promptly, minimizing the risk of subsequent accidents.