Can I ask a question about Auto insurance in Canada?

[Joe Bacon]

16 years after Prop 103 here in California and the price of auto insurance is SRILL insane!

One of my coworkers was talking about how auto insurance in British Columbia was so much cheaper because they had a single payer system. Is this true? Do other provinces have a single payer life, casualty and fire insurance as well?

[Telly Savalas]

1. If I have my facts straight...

several provinces have single-payer auto insurance, but I've never heard of socialized life, casualty or fire insurance.

In Ontario we don't have any of these things, and living in Toronto it's my civic responsibility to not know what's going on in the rest of the country, so all I can give is this iffy answer.

[tuvor]

2. BC's car insurance company is ICBC.

The Insurance Corporation of British Columbia (ICBC) is a provincial Crown corporation established in 1973 to provide universal auto insurance to BC motorists. In addition, the Corporation is responsible for driver licensing, vehicle registration and licensing.

http://www.icbc.com/inside_icbc/corpinfo.asp

As for the cost of BC car insurance relative to the other provinces, I know nothing.

[laundry_queen]

5. When we moved from Alberta to BC

about 6 years ago, our rates dropped a bit, but not a ton. Dh said it was about 15%. He also told me Saskatchewan(also gov't insurance) is cheaper than BC and Manitoba he wasn't sure (gov't insurance there too). Alberta doesn't have gov't insurance, it's free market there.
Edited to add: I don't think any of the provinces have single payer life, casualty or fire insurance.

[CHIMO]

3. Yes You Can (I Think)

Anyway you have.

I think that you have partially answered your own question by saying that the BC insurance is a Canadian insurance.

The provinces have much greater authority in Canada than what one might expect. So the insurance coverage varies from province to province.

But I think that you have to break your question down into bite sized questions, such as auto insurance and not other insurances. If one tries to google then they will be lost on the search.

I certainly was when I started looking for a reply to your question. The combinations and permutations are endless. Bless those nice insurance types for this situation.

[Canadian_moderate]

4. Rates generally reflect the amounts of claims

Where they is a lot of theft, collision or litigation, you can bet the premium will be much higher. Places that have low premium rates are generally low risk area. Obviously CA is not one of those.

I suspect that BC's provincial auto insurance places strict limits on claims for liability, personal loss and injury, and punitive rewards. That's why their rates would be much lower.

In Toronto, with both my wife and I being 10 star drivers, the annual premium for our 2004 Mazda6 is only about $1,300 plus I get the commission back (12.5%) because the broker is a sister company of the one I work for.

[Joe Bacon]

6. Wow! Thanks for your help!

I appreciate the time everyone took to post answers! I'm still amazed that provinces even offer this. Sadly, even talking about proposing a statewide single payer auto insurance program anywhere in the US is unthinkable

[achtung_circus]

7. My Perspective

I've lived in Ontario, Saskatchewan, Alberta and British Columbia.

Ontario
BC
Alberta
Saskatchewan.

BC and Saskatchewan have government insurance (as does Manitoba). In Saskatchewan it's SGI, Saskatchewan Government Insurance.
Any outlet in any province will sell you any kind of insurance you wish, It's the legally mandated, don't allow uninsured people to drive variety that is the original basis of SGI and ICBC.

BC's is higher because BC is short for Bring Cash.