How to File an FSRA Insurance Complaint in Ontario

The Financial Services Regulatory Authority of Ontario (FSRA) is the provincial regulator responsible for insurance companies operating in Ontario. If your insurance company has denied your claim unfairly, failed to handle your complaint properly, or violated Ontario insurance regulations, the FSRA can investigate and take regulatory action.

This guide explains what the FSRA does, what types of insurance it regulates, when to file a complaint, and how the process works.

What Is FSRA?

FSRA replaced the former Financial Services Commission of Ontario (FSCO) in 2019. It is an independent regulatory agency of the Government of Ontario that regulates:

• Auto insurance
• Home insurance and property insurance
• Life and health insurance
• Pension plans
• Mortgage brokers
• Credit unions

FSRA's insurance mandate covers insurers operating under Ontario's Insurance Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. I.8.

What FSRA Can and Cannot Do

What FSRA can do:

• Investigate complaints about Ontario-licensed insurance companies
• Take regulatory action against insurers for market conduct violations
• Require insurers to improve their practices
• Revoke or suspend insurance licences
• Impose administrative monetary penalties
• Publish enforcement actions against non-compliant insurers

What FSRA cannot do:

• Order an insurer to pay your specific claim — this requires court action or arbitration
• Replace the OmbudService for Life & Health Insurance (OLHI) for individual claim disputes
• Provide legal advice

FSRA is a regulatory body, not a dispute resolution service. Its primary role is ensuring insurers comply with Ontario law. For resolution of your specific claim, the OLHI or the courts are more effective avenues.

Types of Insurance Complaints FSRA Handles

Auto Insurance Disputes (Ontario)

Ontario auto insurance is governed by the Insurance Act and the Statutory Accident Benefits Schedule (SABS). If your auto insurer denied or reduced your accident benefits (income replacement, medical/rehabilitation, attendant care, or caregiver benefits), you have specific rights:

1. Internal review — ask the insurer to reconsider
2. Mediation — through the Licence Appeal Tribunal (LAT)
3. Arbitration or court action — through the LAT or Superior Court

For auto insurance market conduct complaints (e.g., unfair claims practices, excessive delays, bad faith), FSRA is the appropriate regulatory body.

Life, Health, Disability, and Critical Illness Insurance

For individual life, health, disability, and CI insurance complaints, the primary dispute resolution route is the OLHI. FSRA handles market conduct complaints — for example, if your insurer is systematically delaying claims, applying policy terms improperly, or engaging in misleading practices.

Property Insurance (Home and Commercial)

For home insurance complaints, the General Insurance OmbudService (GIO) handles individual dispute resolution. FSRA handles systemic market conduct issues.

How to File a Complaint with FSRA

Step 1: Exhaust the Insurer's Internal Process First

Before contacting FSRA, you should:

• Have filed a formal written complaint with the insurer
• Received the insurer's final response (or waited a reasonable period — typically 60 days)
• Attempted resolution through the appropriate ombudservice (OLHI for life/health, GIO for general insurance)

FSRA is a regulatory body and acts most effectively when there is evidence of systemic non-compliance or market conduct breaches.

Step 2: Submit a Complaint to FSRA

Go to fsrao.ca and navigate to the complaint submission form. You can:

• Submit online via the FSRA website
• Call FSRA's Contact Centre at 1-800-668-0128
• Write to FSRA at 25 Sheppard Avenue West, Suite 100, Toronto, Ontario M2N 6S6

Provide:

• The name of the insurance company
• Your policy number and a description of the dispute
• Copies of denial letters, internal complaint responses, and any other relevant documentation
• A clear statement of what you believe the insurer did wrong under Ontario insurance law

Step 3: FSRA Review

FSRA will assess whether the complaint raises a regulatory concern. If so, they will open an investigation. FSRA does not typically provide detailed updates to individual complainants on the progress of regulatory investigations — these are conducted independently.

Specific Ontario Protections

Auto Insurance — Unfair or Deceptive Acts

Ontario's Insurance Act prohibits unfair or deceptive acts by insurers in claims handling. This includes:

• Failing to acknowledge claims within a reasonable time
• Not conducting a reasonable investigation
• Compelling claimants to litigate claims when liability is clear
• Offering less than a reasonable amount in settlement

Life and Health Insurance — Duty of Good Faith

Ontario courts have recognised an insurer's duty of good faith in claims handling. Breach of this duty can give rise to a separate claim for damages beyond the policy amount.

90-Day Appeal Window for Statutory Benefits

For Ontario auto insurance accident benefits, a denial must be challenged through the LAT within 2 years of the denial. However, some internal processes have shorter windows — check with a legal adviser promptly after any denial.

Fight Back With ClaimBack

ClaimBack helps Ontario policyholders navigate the FSRA complaint process, OLHI referrals, and LAT applications for auto insurance benefits — with professional complaint letters and supporting evidence frameworks.

Start your Ontario insurance appeal with ClaimBack

Related Reading

• How to Write an Insurance Appeal Letter
• Internal vs External Insurance Appeal: What's the Difference?
• Common Reasons Insurance Claims Are Denied