SPONSOR: Phelps
Currently, the director of the Department of Commerce and Insurance can authorize a joint underwriting association after a public hearing if medical malpractice insurance is not reasonably available. All insurers authorized to write direct insurance in Missouri must join in order to continue doing business in the State.
The directors of the association must present a plan for economic, fair, and nondiscriminatory administration and for the prompt and efficient distribution of medical malpractice insurance.
This bill allows a majority of the directors of the board to suspend the operations of an association if the board of directors determine that medical malpractice insurance is reasonably available, as defined in the bill, to health care providers in the voluntary market and there are two or fewer individual physicians insured annually by the association for at least two consecutive years. The bill details the process of suspending the operations of the association.
Statutes affected: