Enhanced Care coverage

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​​​​Key changes under Enhanced Care

Enhanced Care changes the way your insurance coverage works after a crash. We have moved away from third-party coverage to first-party coverage.

Basic Vehicle Damage coverage

As a result of the move to first party coverage, Basic Vehicle Damage coverage represents a change in the way your vehicle repair costs are paid for when you’re not responsible for a crash. 

It works like this: if your driver is driving in BC and another driver crashes into the vehicle, your own Basic Vehicle Damage coverage will cover the costs (up to the extent that you are not responsible for the crash).

You likely won’t notice any change when you make a vehicle damage claim. When your driver is not responsible for a crash, Basic insurance will cover you for up to $200,000 and your insurance premiums won’t be impacted. 

Basic Third Party Liability

Under Enhanced Care, legal action won’t be necessary for most crashes in BC since everyone who is injured will have access to the care and income replacement they need after a crash. In addition, most BC drivers whose vehicles are damaged by another vehicle will be able to access Basic Vehicle Damage coverage.

Third party liability will still be required in some circumstances, such as: 

  • Your driver damages someone else’s vehicle or causes injury while driving outside of BC 
  • Your driver damages property, other than a vehicle, while driving (e.g. hit a building or a fence) 
  • Your driver damages the contents inside the other driver’s vehicle

Basic Third Party Liability under Enhanced Care will continue to provide up to $200,000 in third-party liability coverage. 

If you want to increase the amount of Third Party Liability coverage you have in the event the other party’s claim has exceeded the $200,000 limit of your Basic Third Party Liability, talk to your Autoplan broker about purchasing ICBC’s Optional Extended Third Party Liability coverage. 

Off-Highway Third Party Liability

ICBC is committed to managing core auto risks that impact British Columbians. Incidents associated with non-standard vehicles off-highway are not considered to be a core auto risk. Under Enhanced Care, certain vehicles, like golf carts, utility vehicles, farm tractors, and industrial vehicles (rate classes 030, 100 and 170), are excluded from Basic Third Party Liability coverage when used or operated off-highway. This could leave you vulnerable to being sued, with no Third Party Liability coverage. The only exception is for APV4 policies (Garage Policies).

In order to address this vulnerability, ICBC has introduced a new optional coverage, Off-Highway Third Party Liability. For our customers with vehicles in rate classes 030, 100 and 170, who operate off-highway (e.g. on logging roads or private land), Off-highway Third Party Liability will protect you in the event of an off-highway crash you are responsible for.

Off Highway Third Party Liability coverage is available in limits of $200K, $1M, $2M, $3M and $5M.

There will be a transition period for this coverage. Any policy effective prior to May 1, 2021 that includes Basic Third Party Liability will retain the off-highway coverage until it's time to renew your policy. When you renew your policy, speak to your broker to see if optional Off-Highway Third Party Liability coverage is right for you.

Hit and Run Statutory coverage

Vehicle damage coverage from a hit and run has shifted from a Basic coverage to an Optional coverage. The statutory fund is no longer in place to subsidize coverage for hit-and-run incidents. If you already carry collision coverage, you will be covered for hit-and-run claims.

Coverage for any injuries resulting from a hit and run incident does not depend on Optional coverage and is covered for British Columbians under ICBC’s Enhance Care coverage.​

Enhanced Accident Benefits

Care, recovery and w​age-loss benefits​ for people injured in crashes is even more generous than originally proposed under the new Enhanced Care coverage regulations.