The coming year will introduce important updates to HCAI with the implementation of new versions of all forms in HCAI to align with the regulatory changes, becoming effective July 1, 2026. Two system releases will take place in 2026, in the summer and fall. This bulletin provides high-level details about upcoming enhancements.
HCAI System Release 3.35 – Live June 29, 2026
This summer, users can look forward to the following HCAI enhancements:
Form changes based on regulatory reforms
As part of the upcoming Ontario Auto Reforms announced by the Financial Service Regulatory Authority of Ontario (FSRA), new versions of all OCF forms will be available in HCAI starting July 1, 2026, two days after the release goes live. Updates to forms will include:
The addition of Gender X as a recognized option
This addition of Gender X will be implemented in all forms, as well as relevant sections across the HCAI application such as HCAI web, integration feeds and extracts.
Text changes related to the first-payor rule
As part of the implementation of the first-payor rule, relevant text changes will be made to all OCF forms. The “Other Insurer” section will remain available on the revised forms to account for multi-payor scenarios.
Replacement of FSCO with FSRA
References to FSCO are still displayed on some forms in HCAI. This will be updated to FSRA.
Minor legal text changes
To view the updated forms please visit the FSRA website.
OCF-23 Re-development
Updates will be made in HCAI to both the OCF-23 and its Explanation of Benefits. Both are being redeveloped in the new framework. This will not result in any functional changes, as visible changes to the forms are cosmetic in nature and should allow for better user experience. Items such as text alignment, spacing, and the consistency of error messages will be improved.
Important information for integrating insurers
Release 3.35 includes mandatory updates for different integration functionalities. Below is a summary of the integration changes introduced with this release and their impact on integrators' systems:
Introduction of New Gender Type
As outlined above, Release 3.35 will implement Gender X in all forms. The following feeds/extracts will be affected by the introduction of the new Gender X option:
Claim Claimant Feed: Ability to submit the new gender option through the feeds.
All-data Extract: Inclusion of the new gender and new OCF version in the extract.
Claim Claimant Details (CCD) Extract: Inclusion of the new gender in the extract.
A new version of all OCF forms will be introduced to support this change. More details on the acceptable values for gender and form version fields will be provided in the technical release document. Integrating insurers must implement these changes. Failure to do so may cause system errors while processing the listed functionalities after Release 3.35 is live in production.
Important Note: All changes related to Gender X across all OCF forms will take effect on July 1, 2026, although Release 3.35 will go live on June 29, 2026. Any attempt to submit a Claim Claimant Feed with the new Gender X before July 1, 2026, will result in a business validation error in the response message. Integrators need to implement the required modifications by the release go-live date of June 29, 2026.
Lastly, please note that the effective date of July 1 for regulatory changes has been set by FSRA. To account for any unforeseen circumstances, we recommend making this date configurable in your system to maintain flexibility in the schedule.
Schema Modification for the Form 1
A minor modification has been made to the All-data Extract schema for the Form 1. The Email field, which previously did not have a defined data type, now has clear specifications for the kind of input it requires.
The Technical Document, which will be shared next month, will contain more detailed information. We will also host an integration Town Hall and Q&A sessions for technical teams to learn more and address their questions.
Below are the important dates for Release 3.35:
February 12, 2026: Distribution of the Technical Document
February 12, 2026: Distribution of new schemas
March 12, 2026: Town Hall teleconference
March 23 – April 24, 2026: Official testing period
April 8, 2026: Q&A teleconference
System Release 3.36 – Fall 2026
System Release 3.36 is planned to go live in the fall. There are no mandatory integration upgrades planned for this release, however, an optional upgrade will be available to add adjudication via integration for plans, including the OCF-18, OCF 23, and Form 1. More information about enhancements and the system unavailability window for Release 3.36 will be communicated throughout the year.
Other important reminders
Attendant Care Services Invoice (ACSI) Pilot
As of System Release 3.33, the Attendant Care Services Invoice (ACSI) has been made available in HCAI on a pilot basis. HCAI encourages facilities to make use of the ACSI during the pilot to take advantage of the streamlined submission processes that benefits both facilities and insurers.
Data Deletion
As was previously communicated, deletion of eligible claim-claimant records* and their associated documents will continue in 2026.
Deletion of eligible records is beginning on the HCAI Test Environment in January to match the production environment.
Data deletion on the production environment will continue throughout the year on an ongoing and phased basis. This will begin with the oldest eligible records from 2011. By year end, eligible documents submitted or created up to and including 2018 will become candidates for deletion.
*Eligible claim-claimant records include all those that have been deactivated by the insurer for at least seven years, and in which all claimants have been deactivated.
What’s next?
Share this HCAI Update with individuals at your organization who interact with the HCAI system.
Keep checking HCAIinfo.ca to review our step-by-step training resources and find the latest news about HCAI.
