Allstate Canada sues GTA clinics for fraudulent claims

Toronto (Oct. 10, 2012) — Aware of the damage insurance fraud does to our system and the burden it puts on all Canadians, the Allstate Canada Group of Companies, including Allstate Insurance Company of Canada, Pembridge Insurance Company and Pafco Insurance Company, is making a point of cracking down on insurance fraud and bringing the fight directly to fraud perpetrators. The organization has a Special Investigations Unit (SIU) for the sole purpose of identifying and eliminating fraud.

Allstate Canada Group has recently issued claims against the clinics and owners of three clinics located in the Greater Toronto Area — Assessment Direct Inc as the first lawsuit, and Fairview Assessment Centre and Pacific Assessment Centre as the second suit — for Damages and Punitive Damages relating to fraudulent claims they’ve submitted are now in the hands of our court system.

These lawsuits allege the clinics submitted false or unauthorized claims for health care services never provided. They further allege that several doctors were also being taken advantage of as they didn’t write or approve forms filed in several claims generated at these clinics. The suits allege the doctors’ names were fraudulently used on forms, and that most of them were never even employed at the clinics where these claims were filed.

“Our investigations and these lawsuits are just another element in our fight to eliminate fraud from the insurance industry,” said Kevin McConkey of Allstate Canada. “These criminals went to great lengths to defraud our industry and Canadians everywhere. Putting a stop to their activities means better services for customers who actually need it.”

A recent study conducted by KPMG has estimated that the cost of insurance fraud in Ontario is upwards of $1.6 billion(1). “Fraud costs everyone because insurance premiums are driven by claims costs,” says McConkey.

Allstate Canada is committed to fighting insurance fraud and educating the public about how they can help in the fight against this crime. To learn more about what Allstate Canada is doing to protect Canadians in the fight against insurance fraud, visit goodhandsadvice.ca/fight-fraud.

About Allstate

Allstate Insurance Company of Canada is one of Canada’s leading producers and distributors of home and auto insurance products. “The Good Hands Network®” enables consumers to contact Allstate Canada through one of 83 community-based Agencies, directly online at www.allstate.ca and through the Customer Contact Centre at 1-800-Allstate.

Allstate Canada is committed to making a positive difference in the communities in which it operates and has partnered with organizations such as Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD Canada), Crime Stoppers, United Way and Junior Achievement. In 2010, Allstate Canada, in partnership with the National Hockey League Players’ Association (NHLPA), created the Allstate All-Canadians program, a mentorship program designed to guide the next generation of Canada’s hockey youth. Learn more about this program at www.allcanadians.com.

To learn more about Allstate Canada, visit www.goodhandsadvice.ca or www.allstate.ca.

Footnotes

1. Insurance Bureau of Canada, “” (PDF), KPMG Forensic Report, June 13, 2012