Enhanced Care: Rate Reductions and wordings change effective March 11, 2021

To our Valued Broker Partners:

As part of our preparations for ICBC’s no-fault product change on May 1, 2021 we’ve reduced our rates.

Further to the rate reductions we implemented February 1, effective March 11, 2021 for new business and effective June 11, 2021 for renewals your customers and applicants will see further premium decreases to their Stratford Third Party Liability (TPL) and collision premiums. The decreases vary by risk profile.

Policy wording

We’ve prepared our product and wordings for Enhanced Care:

• Hit & Run has shifted from Basic to Optional. Stratford will bundle Hit & Run with Collision.
• Basic Vehicle Damage Coverage (BVDC) has a $200,000 limit. Stratford will bundle the excess with Collision.

Stratford policyholders do not need to renew in order to access this new coverage; it is written into their existing policies from May 1, 2021.

In addition, unrelated to Enhanced Care, we have increased our permanently attached equipment limit from $2500 to $5000, to be more competitive. (Above $5,000 can be referred to Stratford for underwriting.)

Refunding

Customers do not need to wait until their renewal after May 1, 2021 in order to realize the reduced TPL premium, nor do they need to cancel and replace their Stratford policy. Stratford will determine the rate decrease required on the customer’s May 1 and onwards unearned TPL premium and refund that premium. Customers can expect their refund cheque in the mail, in May, 2021. The refund will not include any other rate changes that form a normal part of Stratford pricing activities or the customer’s changing risk profile.

Lastly, Monthly Payment Plan applications

When you complete the DocuSign and are back on the Stratford sales portal: Please be patient and wait 5 seconds for the Stratford system to confirm that there is a signature on the DocuSign document. Once 5 seconds has passed, the ‘Continue’ button will appear (greyed out before) and you can select it. Do be patient on this screen; do not click your browser’s back button, refresh button or close the screen. This will create duplicate contracts for the customer. Once you select ‘Continue’ you will move onto the next screen to complete the transaction.