Opinion: Alberta's no-fault auto insurance is already failing
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But here's the truth: those savings will never come. Even the government and insurance industry lobbyists now admit it. If rolled out in 2027, Care First will not lower your insurance bill. It will, however, strip away your legal rights and shrink your coverage.
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Now, as policy details emerge, those same lobbyists are scrambling. They're pushing for even more extreme measures: scrap remaining legal rights, cut benefits further and lift the premium cap. Their argument? The system won't save drivers a dime unless Albertans give up even more.
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Albertans are facing a bait-and-switch. We're being asked to surrender our legal protections, yet we'll still face rising premiums. Insurers take control of the system away from the courts. Accountability disappears. Costs stay the same.
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Here's the choice the insurance lobby is presenting:
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Option A: Go forward with Care First as designed. Premiums stay high (they're already set to rise 15 per cent over the next two years), but Albertans lose their right to sue in most cases.
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Option B: Do what the insurers want — strip away every remaining right and remove all caps on premiums.
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In both scenarios, Albertans lose.
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Who wins? Insurance companies, reckless drivers and fraudsters.
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Care First gives insurers sweeping power over injury claims while silencing victims. Even if you're seriously injured, you'll only be able to sue if the at-fault driver is criminally convicted. This threshold has no connection to how badly you're hurt. If you're paralyzed by a distracted driver who wasn't charged, you're out of luck. But if you suffer minor injuries in a DUI crash, you might retain some rights. Victims are compensated not based on their injuries, but on whether the offender faced charges.
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Meanwhile, bad drivers face fewer consequences. Under the current system, an at-fault driver can be sued, see their premiums skyrocket and is barred from claiming their own losses. Under Care First, they'll receive full benefits — even if they caused the crash. Their only penalty? A future rate hike spread across every driver's policy — good drivers end up subsidizing the bad.
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Opinion: Alberta's no-fault auto insurance is already failing
Last fall, the Alberta government promised drivers an enticing bargain: give up your right to sue reckless drivers and challenge insurance companies in court, and you'd save $400 a year on premiums. The no-fault model branded as Care First was pitched as a win-win. Article content But here's the truth: those savings will never come. Even the government and insurance industry lobbyists now admit it. If rolled out in 2027, Care First will not lower your insurance bill. It will, however, strip away your legal rights and shrink your coverage. Article content Article content Article content Now, as policy details emerge, those same lobbyists are scrambling. They're pushing for even more extreme measures: scrap remaining legal rights, cut benefits further and lift the premium cap. Their argument? The system won't save drivers a dime unless Albertans give up even more. Article content Albertans are facing a bait-and-switch. We're being asked to surrender our legal protections, yet we'll still face rising premiums. Insurers take control of the system away from the courts. Accountability disappears. Costs stay the same. Article content Here's the choice the insurance lobby is presenting: Article content Option A: Go forward with Care First as designed. Premiums stay high (they're already set to rise 15 per cent over the next two years), but Albertans lose their right to sue in most cases. Article content Article content Option B: Do what the insurers want — strip away every remaining right and remove all caps on premiums. Article content In both scenarios, Albertans lose. Article content Who wins? Insurance companies, reckless drivers and fraudsters. Article content Care First gives insurers sweeping power over injury claims while silencing victims. Even if you're seriously injured, you'll only be able to sue if the at-fault driver is criminally convicted. This threshold has no connection to how badly you're hurt. If you're paralyzed by a distracted driver who wasn't charged, you're out of luck. But if you suffer minor injuries in a DUI crash, you might retain some rights. Victims are compensated not based on their injuries, but on whether the offender faced charges. Article content Meanwhile, bad drivers face fewer consequences. Under the current system, an at-fault driver can be sued, see their premiums skyrocket and is barred from claiming their own losses. Under Care First, they'll receive full benefits — even if they caused the crash. Their only penalty? A future rate hike spread across every driver's policy — good drivers end up subsidizing the bad.
