N.H. Supreme Court: State Can’t Take Malpractice Reserves

By | January 28, 2010

New Hampshire’s highest court has ruled that state lawmakers cannot raid $110 million in reserves from the Joint Underwriting Association, which underwrites medical malpractice insurance in the state.

The Supreme Court decision, released this morning, upholds a lower-court decision that the move by Gov. John Lynch and lawmakers to take the money from the reserves of the Joint Underwriting Association (JUA) was a violation of contract laws in the state.

Lynch, a democrat, had planned to use the money to balance the budget over the next two years – a move criticized by republicans in the state.

Lawyers for the JUA argued that the move violated the state constitution.

The JUA was created in 1975 as a tax-exempt underwriter for medical malpractice insurance in the state. It has since grown to become a significant insurer of doctors and health care facilities in the Granite State.

It has a $152 million surplus, though it has only issued $1 million dividends to policyholders in the last 35 years.

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Latest Comments

  • January 29, 2010 at 2:24 am
    TX Agentman says:
    That is the gist of what I got from the article as well. Charging a company because they planned ahead. You know, I think the government should reread (assuming they read it i... read more
  • January 28, 2010 at 2:09 am
    Impossible to believe says:
    Maybe I'm missing something. "You have lots of money in reserve to pay claims that was put there through the foresight of saving for adverse times(insurance) while we ineptly ... read more
  • January 28, 2010 at 1:15 am
    Granitehead says:
    Of course the state is not entitled to this money to balance the budget!!!! Face it NH you are going to have to seek alternative revenue sources or cut services such as they a... read more

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