IBAS today announced a $10,000 donation to STARS air ambulance in the province, as part of the association’s annual charitable campaign. These funds are aimed to help offset immediate fundraising shortfalls at STARS due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and to support the organization’s mission on the front lines of this public health crisis.

There have been a number of news articles and legal proceedings arise in recent days that have sparked new questions around business interruption insurance and whether it will respond for commercial policyholders that have been forced to pause or limit operations amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.

This bulletin covers a number of topics, including the creation of the IBAS COVID-19 InfoHub, business interruption coverage, declaration of emergency endorsements, insurance as an essential service, changes to commercial operations, SGI issuer online advertising, upcoming online education, event cancellations, and more.

This afternoon, the Government of Saskatchewan released a comprehensive list of critical public services and business services that will be permitted to continue operating during the Province's COVID-19 response. We are pleased that 'insurance services' are, in fact, included on that list.

IBAS and the Insurance Bureau of Canada have submitted a joint letter to the Government of Saskatchewan to underscore the essential role that the P&C insurance industry plays in protecting consumers, enabling the flow of commerce, and reinforcing the resiliency of communities.

It has been quite a week to say the least. And with the torrent pace by which issues related to the COVID-19 pandemic continue to evolve, we wanted to take a moment and provide you, our members, with an update on what IBAS is doing to represent your interests. Take five minutes and read this bulletin from IBAS CEO Derek Lothian.

IBAS commends the General Insurance Council of Saskatchewan for providing brokers welcomed flexibility and much-needed relief in temporarily deferring continuing education (CE) credit hour requirements as a condition of maintaining licence through May 31 renewals.

Due to the increased concern and escalating circumstances surrounding the spread of COVID-19, IBAS has and will continue to take appropriate measures to protect its members, partners, and staff — and strongly encourages brokerages to take similar precautions.

Due to ongoing concerns surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic, after consultation with stakeholders, IBAS has decided to cancel the 2020 Saskatchewan Summit of Young Insurance Professionals, scheduled for April 2 in Saskatoon.

This update from IBAS CEO Derek Lothian provides clarification and guidance to broker members around the interpretation and enforcement of new legislation related to the application of 'additional fees' over and above premiums. For more information, please call IBAS directly at (306) 525-4075.