Pa. JUA Offers Med-Mal Discount to Physicians with No Claims

Pennsylvania Insurance Commissioner M. Diane Koken announced that at the request of Gov. Mark Schweiker, the state insurance department has approved a filing by the Pennsylvania Professional Liability Joint Underwriting Association (JUA) to offer 15 percent discounts to physicians and health care providers who have had no claims filed against them.

As the state’s mandated insurer of last resort for medical-malpractice insurance, the JUA offers coverage to health-care providers who have been declined insurance in the private marketplace. With this rule and rate revision, the JUA will be able to offer those physicians with a clean claims history a discounted rate. In addition, the Pennsylvania Insurance Department has recently approved and licensed a number of insurance entities created to offer medical- malpractice market alternatives. These would include the following insurance companies: Campmed Casualty and Indemnity Company, and Fortress Insurance Company.

The list also includes the following risk-retention groups: National Guardian Risk Retention Group Inc.; Community Health Alliance Reciprocal Risk Retention Group; First Medical Insurance Co., A Reciprocal Risk Retention Group; Positive Mutual Risk Retention Group Inc.; Millennium Insurance Company (A Risk Retention Group); and Community Hospital Alternative for Risk Transfer (A Reciprocal Risk Retention Group).

Additionally, the Homeland Insurance Company of New York has been approved as a surplus lines company, writing medical-malpractice insurance in Pennsylvania.