Med-Mal Cover Available in Ark.

Arkansas Insurance Commissioner Mike Pickens recently assured Arkansas doctors that medical malpractice insurance is still available in the state. Pickens made the announcement in response to the decision by St. Paul insurance companies to discontinue writing medical malpractice in Arkansas. In an memo to the Arkansas Medical Society, Pickens said the insurance department recognizes the difficulty faced by some doctors in finding malpractice in Arkansas, but insisted that the coverage is available in the state. The insurance department reported that although at one time St. Paul provided coverage to roughly 50 percent of the state’s total medical malpractice market, a number of other companies are taking advantage of the potential void created by St. Paul’s exodus from the Arkansas market. A list of sources for medical malpractice insurance is available on the department’s website, www.state.ar.us/insurance. The list may also be obtained by calling the Property and Casualty Division at (501) 371-2808 or (800) 282-9134.