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Your home insurance policy may soon carry a COVID-19 exclusion
Wording being added to policies that underscores inability to make COVID-related claim
Homeowners may see something new when they renew their home insurance policies over the next few months: a communicable disease exclusion.
This will protect insurance companies from any claims related to the COVID-19 pandemic, Amanda Dean, vice-president Atlantic for the Insurance Bureau of Canada, said Wednesday.
"Generally, pandemic risk is not an insurable thing, as the insurance industry is unable to provide protection for losses of this nature because there's no way to diversify the risk due to it affecting the entire world at the same time," Dean said.
The exclusion reflects the changes being made by international reinsurance companies, which primary insurers buy insurance from.
"So what we're seeing is insurance companies starting to make the decision to add that to those home insurance policies,"
Dean said the exclusion endorsement prevents anyone who contracts COVID-19 at someone's house from making a claim against a home insurance policy.
"We know we're all doing our our best to protect ourselves, our neighbours, our friends and family. But you never know where this is going to creep up. If someone were to contract COVID-19 and pursue litigation, it could get quite, quite costly."
Dean said pandemic insurance is not normally available because the risk can't be diversified when it exists around the globe at the same time and can pop up in any community at any time.
And while typically no claim related to a pandemic can be made anyway, insurance companies have decided to add the exclusion wording that reinsurance companies have added it their agreements.
"What we're seeing is insurance companies making the decision to reflect that same wording within their homeowners policies that they're offering to their customers."
Amanda Dean, vice-president Atlantic with Insurance Bureau of Canada, said the putting the exclusion on homeowners' policies will be a company-by-company decision. (Insurance Bureau of Canada )
Dean said this is very new and she suggested homeowners speak to their insurance representative about it.
"Like any change at this point in time, it can be a bit unnerving because we've all gone through an awful lot in the past number of months."
While only one insurance company has added the communicable disease exclusion to the home insurance renewal policy, Dean said there is potential for more companies to do so.
"Where this is something that's happening with reinsurance companies, it will come down to business decisions with insurers that are selling home policies here in Canada."
With files from Information Morning Fredericton and Information Morning Moncton
I'm gonna heat and insure that house, all that house $12K a year, check it out:
My backyard's got a heated pool
My invite list is climate cool
My hashtags are all proper too
#climatechangeisreal it's true
Oh no we're weezing
Friends are coughing, snotting on me
and throwing up on me
Oh no they're scheming
Friends are plotting for my money,
CERB money
Watcha gon do when I serve you, I serve you with hefty suits
I'm gonna call my brokerage house, brokerage house on call in cue, check it out:
My friends are playing dirty
The COVID got them crazy
They say I owe them money
So kindly reimburse me
Oh no we're sorry
COVID carveout in effect
nobody's got your back
Re read that policy
By the way your payment's due
last week!
One pill makes you larger, and one pill makes you small
And the ones that mother gives you, don't do anything at all
Go ask Alice, when she's ten feet tall
And if you go chasing rabbits, and you know you're going to fall
Tell 'em a hookah-smoking caterpillar has given you the call
He called Alice, when she was just small
When the men on the chessboard get up and tell you where to go
And you've just had some kind of mushroom, and your mind is moving low
Go ask Alice, I think she'll know
When logic and proportion have fallen sloppy dead
And the White Knight is talking backwards
And the Red Queen's off with her head
Remember what the Dormouse said
Feed your head, feed your head
"A lawyer who represented the provincial government on several high-profile cases and served as president of the province's law society is facing criminal charges after consuming mushrooms"
If someone visited your home and contracted some disease/virus, be that pneumonia, the measles, or some other ailment. The current insurance policies would not cover that nor were they intended to. So by excluding covid-19 ( pandemic ) insurance they are simply trying to mitigate future unnecessary lawsuits. The reality is none of us could afford to pay the premiums something like would cost even if it was available.
If you wish to learn about insurance do a bit of research on Bob Rae, specifically Bob Rae's Ontario, where he promised government car insurance.
Charges may be dropped against Moncton lawyer
Case against Christian Michaud being dealt with under alternative measures program
Christian Michaud, 48, of Ammon, was charged last February after an incident where Michaud said he accidently ingested hallucinogenic mushrooms. (Shane Magee/CBC)
Charges against a prominent Moncton lawyer of public nudity and causing a disturbance will be dropped if he successfully completes alternative measures.
Christian Michaud, 48, of Ammon was charged last February after behaviour allegedly caused by ingesting hallucinogenic mushrooms. At the time, Michaud said he regularly forages for mushrooms and mistakenly consumed those particular mushrooms.
The case was recommended for the alternative measures program. The province says the program is designed to "hold eligible adults accountable for their actions at the community level" and to make better use of resources by providing alternatives to the criminal justice system.
Michaud told Radio-Canada last month that as part of the alternative measures, he admitted his fault in the incident and paid $85 the for cleanup of a police vehicle.
He is to return to court Dec. 11. If he is considered to have successfully completed the alternative measures, the charges against him will be dropped.
Michaud served as the president of the Law Society of New Brunswick in 2018-2019.
With files from Radio-Canada
Prominent lawyer who represented New Brunswick government faces nudity charge
Christian Michaud says he consumed the wrong type of mushrooms
Christian Michaud, 48, of Ammon, north of Moncton, is to appear in provincial court later this month. (Shane Magee/CBC)
A lawyer who represented the provincial government on several high-profile cases and served as president of the province's law society is facing criminal charges after consuming mushrooms.
Christian Michaud, 48, of Ammon was charged Feb. 21 and is set to appear in Moncton provincial court later this month.
The charges include public nudity in Ammon, causing a disturbance on the same day, and committing mischief by making an RCMP Ford Explorer "inoperative."
The charges allege the events occurred Sept. 22.
Michaud said he regularly forages for mushrooms and mistakenly consumed the wrong kind that resulted in a bad reaction while he was at his home north of Moncton.
"So possibly I completely lost my mind because it was a very strong hallucinogen," he told Radio-Canada.
Michaud said his wife called 911 asking for an ambulance, but police also answered the call. After he was placed in the back seat, he said he urinated in the police vehicle.
He's upset police have opted to pursue charges.
Past law society president
Michaud was president of the Law Society of New Brunswick from 2018 to 2019.
He was a partner with Cox & Palmer for more than two decades. He recently began his own practice. He told CBC News the change was not directly related to the criminal charges.
News releases about Michaud no longer appear on the Cox & Palmer website, including one marking his appointment in 2015 as Queen's Counsel, a designation awarded to select lawyers for outstanding service, dedication and commitment to the legal profession in the province. The news releases still appear in cached versions of the Cox & Palmer website.
He represented the provincial government in a case involving the rights of thousands of nursing home workers last year. He also previously represented Ambulance New Brunswick in a lawsuit related to bilingual service.
Michaud is scheduled to appear in court March 20. He said he intends to plead not guilty and will fight the charges.
He's retained lawyer Nathan Gorham to represent him.
About the Author
With files from Radio-Canada