October 16, 2017 by matray

October 4, 2017 by matray

Chicago — According to just-released data from the 2017 Medical Liability Monitor Annual Rate Survey, the medical professional liability (medical malpractice) insurance industry’s collective mature, base-rate premiums experienced an overall average decrease of 1.1 percent from last year. More specifically, Internal Medicine rates decreased 1.1 percent, General Surgery rates decreased 1 percent and OB/Gyn rates decreased by 1 percent. “The slight average decrease in mature, base-rate medical malpractice insurance premiums marks a continuation of the medical professional liability insurance industry’s historic soft market,” said Michael Matray, editor of Medical Liability Monitor. “What’s interesting is that the market continued to soften at the same time the industry’s combined ratio crept above 100 percent for the first time in a decade. The question is how long can insurers be aggressive with pricing in the face of slipping underwriting results.” For the overwhelming majority (74.2 percent) of insurers participating in this year’s Annual Rate Survey, rates remained flat between 2016 and 2017, very similar to the percentage with no manual change shown between 2015 and 2016 (75.2 percent). The next largest segment of rate change was increases within the 0.1 percent to 9.9 percent (13.3 percent). When reported medical malpractice insurance rates are broken down regionally, the only region reporting an average rate increase is the Northeast region – due to a 12-percent increase in the Pennsylvania PCF surcharge and Maine reporting a 2.5-percent increase. In the South, decreases in Texas and Virginia of 3 percent and 3.6 percent, respectively, and increases in Florida, Georgia and South Carolina of 1.5 percent, 1 percent and 1.8 percent, respectively, combine for an overall decrease for the region of 0.9 percent. The change reported for the Midwest is a 2.1 percent decrease. Kansas, Michigan, Missouri and Ohio all reported decreases around 5 percent. A very slight decrease (0.3 percent) was reported for Illinois due to one carrier reducing the rate for the OB/Gyn specialty. Nebraska and Indiana are each reporting increases of roughly 3 percent, but the increase in Nebraska is driven by an 18 percent increase in the PCF charge. The two states with the largest reported changes are in the West region — Hawaii and Montana — report average decreases of 9 percent and 7.2 percent, respectively. In New Mexico, the PCF surcharge increased by 9.3 percent, while the primary carriers are holding rates flat, driving an increase for the state of about 1.3 percent.

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October 3, 2017 by matray

Berkshire Hathaway International Insurance Limited (BHIIL) and MedPro Group Inc. (MedPro) announced today the addition of Premium Medical Protection Ltd. (PMP) to the Berkshire Hathaway group of healthcare liability companies. BHIIL, MedPro and PMP have been working together since 2014 to deliver contractual medical indemnity insurance as well as patient safety and risk management solutions to private practice consultants and surgeons in the United Kingdom. Subject to regulatory approvals, this transaction is expected to close by year-end. “PMP was created nearly a decade ago to provide UK consultants and surgeons with the best contractual medical indemnity insurance and patient safety solutions available,” said Juliet Bentley, PMP’s founder and CEO. “Our combination of top customer service, winning defense and leading contractual insurance protections have resulted in delighted customers and sustained PMP growth. Joining BHIIL/MedPro Group in the Berkshire Hathaway group of companies offering healthcare liability solutions continues our mission and allows us to further expand our capabilities and services to even more healthcare providers throughout the UK.” With offices in Leamington Spa, Glasgow and London, PMP and its BHIIL/MedPro partners serve nearly 2,000 private practice consultants and surgeons throughout the UK. Ms. Bentley will remain as president, and its employees and operations will continue as is. “We are delighted to be able to work even more closely with PMP, and – with this acquisition – further highlight and strengthen the Group’s commitment to the UK medical malpractice market,” said John Bartlett, BHIIL/MedPro International vice president. “The Group will be a great home for PMP and its dedicated employees.”

October 3, 2017 by matray

The Doctors Company announced today the selection of Crystal R. Brown as senior vice president of underwriting, effective immediately. In her new role, Brown leads the company's underwriting operations nationally, reporting directly to Bill Fleming, TDC's chief operating officer. Brown most recently served as healthcare zone leader for CNA Insurance in Chicago. At CNA, she oversaw a team of underwriting professionals at 10 branch offices who focused on the healthcare segment, including community and specialty hospitals, academic medical facilities, allied healthcare, accountable care organizations, large medical and academic groups, skilled nursing homes, assisted living centers, independent living facilities, life plan communities and life science companies. “We are very excited to have Crystal join The Doctors Company’s leadership team,” Fleming said. “With her broad experience with many types of healthcare organizations, she brings a deep understanding of the ever-changing healthcare environment and expertise in developing solutions for technically complex healthcare accounts across the enterprise. She will be a great asset in our work to provide expert guidance, resources, and coverage to our members no matter how they practice.” Brown has more than 25 years of underwriting experience. She held several roles at CNA, including assistant vice president, underwriting director and senior underwriter. She also previously worked as a healthcare specialist for Continental Insurance Company in New York prior to the merger with CNA. She is a graduate of the Advanced Leadership Program at Kellogg School of Management in Chicago, and she earned an MPA in Health Services Management from New York University as well as a bachelor’s degree in English from Amherst College in Amherst, Massachusetts. “I am honored to have been selected by The Doctors Company to lead, collaborate with and motivate the teams and regions to grow our membership and expand our capabilities,” Brown said. “I fully support and am encouraged by our mission to advance, protect and reward the practice of good medicine. I look forward to working on unique solutions for our members.”

September 29, 2017 by matray

The Doctors Company announced yesterday that it is now offering coverage on an admitted basis to New York healthcare providers. The New York Department of Financial Services’ recent approval of the company’s manual rate and secondary filings officially confirmed the company’s expanded presence. The Napa, Calif.-based insurer of medical liability is promising a wide variety of benefits to New York members. These benefits include risk management courses required by the state for physicians to maintain Section 18 excess eligibility, excess and primary coverage through a single carrier, coverage for both physicians and ancillary healthcare providers as well as professional and management liability policies for a variety of organizations and healthcare professionals — including medical and longterm care facilities, managed care organizations and life sciences — through its specialty lines subsidiary, TDC Specialty Underwriters.

September 29, 2017 by matray

ISMIE Mutual Insurance Co. and ISMIE Indemnity announced plans yesterday for expanded service and product offerings in the state of Missouri. With a recent updated rate filing, the companies will offer medical liability coverage for individual health professionals, groups and healthcare facilities. ISMIE plans to pursue new business in Missouri as a component of its national expansion plan.

“For many years, we at ISMIE have been proud to serve our Illinois policyholders who have extended their practices into the state of Missouri,” saidPaul H. DeHaan, MD, ISMIE vice chairman. “Today, we’re very pleased to offer Missouri-based professionals our entire suite of products and services that have been developed and provided over 40 years in one of the toughest medical litigation environments in America.”

September 21, 2017 by matray

ISMIE Mutual Insurance Co. and ISMIE Indemnity announced plans today for expanded service and product offerings in the state of Michigan. With a recent updated rate filing, the companies will offer medical liability coverage for individual health professionals, groups and healthcare facilities.

“ISMIE has had a Michigan presence for many years; today we are proud to announce an expansion in the state,” saidPaul H. DeHaan, MD, ISMIE vice chairman. “We expect a strong response from health professionals, groups and facilities as they become familiar with ISMIE’s service offerings.”

“Our risk management program, claims support and practice-specific coverage flexibility have made us No. 1 in Illinois and will address the needs of policyholders in the national marketplace,” said Wayne de Nazarie, ISMIE executive vice president. “We are excited to work with our agency partners to offer flexible medical liability coverage options for Michigan health professionals and across care delivery settings.”

September 19, 2017 by matray

ISMIE Mutual Insurance Co. announced its 2nd Annual Risk Management Symposium: Emerging Risks. This daylong conference will be held November 17 at the Hyatt Regency O’Hare in Rosemont, Ill., and is open to all interested healthcare professionals and administrators.

This year’s symposium will feature keynotes and individual breakout sessions focusing on changing care models, patient safety, genetic testing, opioid abuse, polypharmacy, pharmacogenomics, cybersecurity, health IT and more. Speakers this year will include Amy Compton-Philips, MD; Wendy Chung, MD, PhD; Alex Ricardo; Ryan R. Nash, MD, MA; Geeta Nayyar, MD, MBA; Russ B. Altman, MD, PhD; and Tejal K. Gandhi, MD, MPH, CPPS.

“This conference underscores our longstanding commitment to developing innovative, effective risk management education,” saidPaul H. DeHaan, MD, ISMIE vice chairman. “We’ve built on last year’s highly successful inaugural symposium and will be bringing together a new line-up of nationally recognized speakers to examine the risks and opportunities on the horizon for all healthcare professionals.”

“As ISMIE continues to expand nationwide, we’re very pleased to offer our approach to patient safety to an even wider audience,” he added.

ISMIE policyholders can attend the symposium for free. Substantial discounts are available for Illinois State Medical Society members and employed staff of ISMIE policyholders. Additional early-bird savings are available to those who register before October 1.

Visit www.ismierms.com for more information.

September 13, 2017 by matray

Due to the severe impact and debilitating effects of Hurricane Irma, NORCAL Mutual Insurance Company is providing premium payment relief to all policyholders throughout Florida and Georgia. NORCAL will extend premium payment due dates for those impacted by Hurricane Irma until November 1 to ensure policyholders are able to work through the aftermath of the storm without any disruption of coverage.  Additionally, no cancellations will be issued during this grace period to those affected by the storm.

“Our thoughts and prayers are with our policyholders and business partners affected by this storm and as they face a long road of recovery ahead,” NORCAL President and Chief Executive Officer Scott Diener said. 

For medical practices that experience high water damage, NORCAL’s risk management team has provided actionable tips for protecting patient data that may be damaged. These disaster recovery resources can be found on the NORCAL website at norcal-group.com/Irma.

September 8, 2017 by matray

A.M. Best has downgraded the Financial Strength Rating (FSR) to A- (Excellent) from A (Excellent) and the Long-Term Issuer Credit Rating (Long-Term ICR) to “a-” from “a” of Kansas Medical Mutual Insurance Company (KaMMCO) (Topeka, KS). The outlook of these Credit Ratings (ratings) has been revised to negative from stable. In addition, A.M. Best has assigned an FSR of A- (Excellent) and a Long-Term ICR of “a-” to KaMMCO Casualty Company, Inc. (KaMMCO Casualty) (Topeka, KS), KaMMCO’s wholly owned subsidiary. The outlook assigned to these ratings is negative. The two companies comprise the Kansas Medical Mutual Group. The rating downgrades of KaMMCO are based on the company’s unfavorable underwriting performance since 2014, and below average investment returns, which have adversely impacted overall earnings performance. Despite the company’s strong balance sheet, profitability falls significantly below the medical professional liability (MPL) composite averages. This is further compounded by the company’s mono-line concentration in underwriting MPL lines, primarily in Kansas. Market conditions for MPL insurers are highly competitive, pricing is soft and significant changes in healthcare delivery and shifts in the legal environment have presented KaMMCO with challenges to achieving underwriting profitability. To counter these headwinds, KaMMCO is expanding its business profile by providing MPL clients with services and information technology solutions to generate more non-risk revenue through a subsidiary. However, this operation has not achieved the scale it needs to reach break-even profitability. A.M. Best is concerned about the group’s ability to expand subsidiary operations to reach the economy of scale needed to make a profitable product in the near term, and that the operation will continue to be a drag on earnings. KaMMCO is the leading provider of MPL and hospital professional liability coverage in Kansas. The company had historically produced strong earnings that were better than the MPL composite averages. The rating outlooks are negative given the current weak earnings trend, the difficult market conditions and the company’s concentration of risk. The ratings may be downgraded again if management is unable to show improving and sustainable profitability. The ratings of KaMMCO have been assigned to KaMMCO Casualty due to a 100% intercompany quota share reinsurance agreement. The ratings also take into consideration the challenges associated with expanding products and services to non-traditional business sources, offset by its strong alliance with the group, including board membership, and the role KaMMCO Casualty plays in providing the ability to diversify the group’s product line inside and outside of Kansas. Key functions provided to KaMMCO Casualty by KaMMCO include risk management, continuing medical education and claims administration services. A.M. Best believes that positive rating movement for Kansas Medical Mutual Group may occur should operating performance trends through the insurance operations improve significantly and consistently meet or exceed MPL composite averages. Negative rating action could occur if there is a continued deterioration in operating performance. Negative rating action also could occur if there is a significant decline in risk-adjusted capitalization.