if you are covered, you will not receive a lump-sum settlement to use as needed, but will be joined at the hip to the icbc bureaucracy, possibly forever. in the language of no-fault manitoba public insurance, “income replacement will continue for as long as the claimant meets eligibility criteria.” so, every few months, or year or two, you may need to submit burdensome medical proof of ongoing impairment to continue with your wage-loss benefits. also, at any time icbc may decide that you could do job x, even part-time, instead of your own job — in the manitoba plan, this is called “determined employment” — and, of course, if you don’t pursue it, your benefits can be docked accordingly.
about that impressive-sounding new $1,200 per week maximum wage loss benefit? remember, icbc must first accept that you cannot work, and they may disagree with you and your doctor about this. most concerning is that this will be awarded solely based on your current income. if you are doing well in an apprenticeship and stand to finish and make a lot more money, for example, you will not be compensated for those future earnings if you cannot continue with your career.
then there is treatment. it may be offered, but only continued if icbc deems you to be objectively improving in your functioning. as with worksafebc, it is irrelevant that, say, massage therapy reduces your suffering and so is important to you. you must essentially prove that it actually makes you function better. and, of course, every condition has a predetermined number of treatments that will be supported, and no more. with the current lump-sum settlement system, if you decide you want the treatment, you can afford it and are not answerable to anybody.