Ontario Auto Insurance Just Changed: What’s Now Optional And How To Protect Yourself

As of July 1, 2026, the Ontario government amended the Statutory Accident Benefits Schedule (SABS) to help lower auto insurance premiums for drivers. While this could mean savings on their insurance it can have devastating consequences if they have an accident and don’t have the coverage they need.

The majority of coverages people previously had, such as income replacement, death and funeral benefits, and visitor expenses, became optional. So, while your policy will renew with the same coverages you had before July 1, 2026, you can delete them. If you start a new policy, you are only given three mandatory coverages – medical and rehabilitation benefits and attendant care. People don’t understand insurance policies at the best of times. They won’t know why they need to add back some, if not all, the mandatory coverages.