The Complaint Process

OLHI assists any consumer who has a concern or complaint about a Canadian life and health insurance product or service, including life, disability, employee health benefits, travel, and insurance investment products such as annuities and segregated funds.

Within this section you will find information on how to deal with your insurance company if you have a complaint. We also provide you with an overview of OLHI's independent dispute resolution process.

Our experienced Complaints Counsellors will guide you through the complaints process.

Often we can quickly and easily resolve your concern with an initial call or upon quick review of relevant information. Problems often arise over a simple misunderstanding or failure to provide complete information.

OLHI provides Canada wide assistance through our toll-free telephone lines on weekdays between 9am and 5pm Eastern time at the following numbers:

In English 1-888-295-8112 In Toronto 416-777-9002

In French 1-866-582-2088 In Montreal 514-282-2088

Overview of Complaints Process

Step One: You must first try to resolve your concern or complaint directly with your insurance company. Click Here for a written guide to assist you in dealing with your insurance company. If your complaint is not resolved to your satisfaction at the company level, you may then wish to use OLHI’s independent dispute resolution process.

Step Two: If you are unable to resolve your complaint directly with your insurance company, OLHI offers a free and independent complaints resolution process.

An experienced Complaints Counsellor will review your matter from an independent perspective to collect all relevant facts and information and to advise you how best to deal with your complaint. Many cases are resolved at this initial stage through our assistance.

If the Complaints Counsellor finds it would be helpful, your case will be referred to an OmbudService Officer (“Officer”) for conciliation. The Officer assigned to your case will work with you and your insurance company to try to facilitate a voluntary resolution of the complaint. The Officer will contact both you and your insurance company to collect any necessary additional information and then assess your complaint to try to find some common ground between the parties. Our Officers, who bring an experienced and independent perspective, are often very persuasive in assisting the parties to reach an agreement.

Step Three: Where warranted, a complaint may be referred for a further review. This review, results in a non binding settlement recommendation to the consumer and the insurance company.