The Financial Services Commission of Ontario (FSCO) is pleased to provide, for your information, the revised Assessment Guide for Disability Designated Assessment Centres (DACs) and a revised Roster of DACs authorized to conduct Disability Assessments. Additionally, The Minister’s Committee is introducing, on a six-month trial basis, a Cancellation Fee Schedule for disability and medical/ rehabilitation assessments that are terminated before the first DAC appointment is held.
The Minister’s Committee on the DAC System, whose mandate is to assist DACs in providing neutral, comprehensive and cost-effective assessments, has recommended the implementation of the revised assessment guide and the introduction of the pre-assessment cancellation fee schedule for Disability and Medical/ Rehabilitation DACs. The revised Guide and Cancellation Fee Schedule are effective May 15, 2000.
The newly established pre-assessment Cancellation Fee Schedule has been designed to ensure that every cancellation fee is based upon a realistic determination of the amount of work and expense that is incurred by a DAC up to that point in time. The schedule, contained in this document, provides various exit points during the intake phase of a referral, which are to be used to calculate the appropriate cancellation fee. With a standardized pre-assessment cancellation fee schedule, system stakeholders will benefit from a stable and consistent approach to determining reasonable and fair cancellation fees. This is a DAC fee that is to be paid in accordance with the provisions section 24 of the of the Statutory Accident Benefits Schedule.
The revised Assessment Guide, attached to this document, is entitled Disability Designated Assessment Centre Assessment Guide: A guide to conducting Disability DAC assessments (April 2000) and replaces Ontario Insurance Commission Guidelines for Designated Assessment Centres to Conduct Assessments for Accidents on or after November 1, 1996 as amended, June 1998 for disability assessments only.
The main change in the Disability DAC structure is the movement from single assessor centres to centres that can draw from a multi-disciplinary team. The guideline outlines standards regarding the necessary physical and human resources required of Disability DACs and establishes a framework based upon the key components of intake, assessment and reporting. This will ensure a standard level of service and consistent style for every disability assessment conducted at a DAC centre in Ontario.
The Guide allows for and relies on each clinician involved to use his/her own professional clinical judgement in both screening and planning the assessments and also interpreting the assessment outcomes. The Guideline outlines a common process for "intake" (processing the referral request and generating an assessment plan) and reporting (accessible and useful to both parties).
The attached revised DAC roster entitled Roster of Designated Assessment Centres in the Province of Ontario dated April 1, 2000 identifies all of the DAC locations in the province including those that have met the new requirements of the Disability Guide. The most up-to-date version of the DAC Roster is posted on FSCO’s website, (www.fsco.gov.on.ca) along with electronic versions of the attached documents.
These new documents reflect the ongoing commitment of FSCO and the Minister’s Committee to ensuring that the DAC system is fair, accessible, timely and cost-effective.
Please ensure that the information contained in this bulletin is brought to the attention of your ADR Coordinator.
For More Information
Questions about this bulletin should be directed to FSCO’s Accident Benefit Analysis Unit at 416-790-7137 or 1-800-668-0128 extension 7137. The fax number is (416) 590-7265.
Dina Palozzi
Chief Executive Officer and
Superintendent of Financial Services
April 18, 2000
Attachments:
- Disability Designated Assessment Centre Assessment Guide: A guide to conducting Disability DAC assessments
- Roster of Designated Assessment Centres in the Province of Ontario