Adjusters granted “investigative body” status

Retroactive to March 31, independent adjusters in Canada have been granted the status of “investigative bodies” under the federal privacy legislation.The status, announced by the Canadian Independent Adjusters Association (CIAA), allows independents leeway in the collection, use and disclosure of personal information relative to claims investigation. The status relates specifically to disclosure of an individual’s personal information to and from third-party organizations.The CIAA was responsible for negotiating the status, including past presidents Keith Edwards and Arnold Pike, current president Jim Eso and executive director Patricia Battle. Battle notes that the national association began the lobbying process back in April of 2002. “At that time, only two organizations had been granted investigative body status the Insurance Crime Prevention Bureau and the Bank Crime Prevention and Investigation Office,” she notes. “Viewing independent adjusters as the front line in fraud detection the Bureau (Insurance Bureau of Canada, IBC) supported the association’s efforts.” A joint committee of the IBC and CIAA reviewed how the legislation would impact claims handling efforts. Battle stresses that adjusters will still be subject to the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA), and will still seek to obtain consent from individuals for the collection, use and disclosure of personal information, “unless a case can be made that the obtaining of consent would compromise the availability or accuracy of the information sought”.