New York Codes, Rules and Regulations
Title 11 - INSURANCE
Chapter III - Policy and Certificate Provisions
Subchapter B - Property and Casualty Insurance
Part 70 - Medical Malpractice Insurance Rate Modifications, Provisional Rates, Required Policy Provisions And Availability Of Additional Coverages
Section 70.22 - Physicians and surgeons medical malpractice policy provisions for the period commencing July 1, 2000; established rates

(1) Pursuant to part JJ of chapter 407 of the Laws of 1999, as amended by chapter 147 of the Laws of 2000, section 5502 (c) of the Insurance Law was amended to provide for the dissolution of the Medical Malpractice Insurance Association (MMIA) at such time and under such conditions as the superintendent deems proper. As part of that dissolution process, MMIA ceased issuing and renewing policies effective July 1, 2000.

(2) As required by part JJ, the New York Medical Malpractice Insurance Plan (plan) has been established, pursuant to 11 NYCRR 430 (Regulation 170), to provide for the equitable distribution, to authorized medical malpractice insurers writing such coverage in New York, of the insureds of MMIA and health care practitioners and facilities which are otherwise unable to secure coverage in the voluntary market following the dissolution of MMIA.

(3) Part JJ further requires that, upon initial distribution to the voluntary market, insureds of MMIA received policies with provisions and rates which are at least as favorable to the insured as those which they would have received if they were issued a renewal policy by MMIA.

(4) Therefore paragraph (d)(5) of this section contains the established rates to be used for insureds distributed through the plan.

(1) For Academic Health Professionals Insurance Association, the rate adjustments shall be as indicated in paragraph (8) of this subdivision, which also reflects classification modifications approved by the superintendent in accordance with section 2307 (a) of the Insurance Law. No surcharge shall be collected for this insurer.

(2) For Frontier Insurance Company, the rate adjustments shall be as indicated in paragraph (9) of this subdivision, which also reflects classification modifications approved by the superintendent in accordance with section 2307 (a) of the Insurance Law. No surcharge shall be collected for this insurer.

(3) For Group Council Mutual Insurance Company, rates shall be 10 percent greater than those established pursuant to section 70.21(c)(3) of this Part. In addition, a surcharge of four percent shall be collected for this insurer.

(4) For Medical Liability Mutual Insurance Company, the rate adjustments shall be as indicated in paragraph (10) of this subdivision, which also reflects classification modifications approved by the superintendent in accordance with section 2307 (a) of the Insurance Law. No surcharge shall be collected for this insurer.

(5) For the Medical Malpractice Insurance Plan, the rates shall be those established for the Medical Malpractice Insurance Association pursuant to section 70.21(c)(5) of this Part, as adjusted in paragraph (11) of this subdivision, which also reflects classification modifications approved by the superintendent in accordance with section 2307 (a) of the Insurance Law. No surcharge shall be collected for this insurer.

(6) For Physicians Reciprocal Insurers, the rate adjustments shall be as indicated in paragraph (12) of this subdivision. No surcharge shall be collected for this insurer.

(7) For all other insurers, rates shall be those established by paragraph (4) of this subdivision, modified by the difference between the insurer's expenses and those of the Medical Liability Mutual Insurance Company, unless the insurer can demonstrate to the satisfaction of the superintendent that another rate is appropriate. No surcharge shall be collected for any such insurer unless specifically required by the superintendent.

(8) Rate adjustments for the Academic Health Professionals Insurance Association:

* Territory 01: New York, Orange, Westchester, Rockland and Sullivan Counties

Territory 02: Bronx, Kings, Queens and Richmond Counties

Territory 03: Nassau and Suffolk Counties

Territory 04: Putnam, Dutchess, Columbia, Greene and Ulster Counties

Territory 05: Erie and Niagara Counties

Territory 06: Livingston, Monroe, Ontario, Seneca, Wayne and Yates Counties

Territory 00: Remainder of State

(9) Rate adjustments for the Frontier Insurance Company:

* Territory 01: New York, Orange, Westchester, Rockland and Sullivan Counties

Territory 02: Bronx, Kings, Queens and Richmond Counties

Territory 03: Nassau and Suffolk Counties

Territory 04: Putnam, Dutchess, Columbia, Greene and Ulster Counties

Territory 05: Erie and Niagara Counties

Territory 06: Livingston, Monroe, Ontario, Seneca, Wayne and Yates Counties

Territory 00: Remainder of State

(10) Rate adjustments for the Medical Liability Mutual Insurance Company:

* Territory 01: New York, Orange, Westchester, Rockland and Sullivan Counties

Territory 02: Bronx, Kings, Queens and Richmond Counties

Territory 03: Nassau and Suffolk Counties

Territory 04: Putnam, Dutchess, Columbia, Greene and Ulster Counties

Territory 05: Erie and Niagara Counties

Territory 06: Livingston, Monroe, Ontario, Seneca, Wayne and Yates Counties

Territory 00: Remainder of State

(11) Rate adjustments for the Medical Malpractice Insurance Plan:

* Territory 01: New York, Orange, Westchester, Rockland and Sullivan Counties

Territory 02: Bronx, Kings, Queens and Richmond Counties

Territory 03: Nassau and Suffolk Counties

Territory 04: Putnam, Dutchess, Columbia, Greene and Ulster Counties

Territory 05: Erie and Niagara Counties

Territory 06: Livingston, Monroe, Ontario, Seneca, Wayne and Yates Counties

Territory 00: Remainder of State

(12) Rate adjustments for Physicians Reciprocal Insurers (PRI):

* Territory 01: New York, Orange, Westchester, Rockland and Sullivan Counties

Territory 02: Bronx, Kings, Queens and Richmond Counties

Territory 03: Nassau and Suffolk Counties

Territory 04: Putnam, Dutchess, Columbia, Greene and Ulster Counties

Territory 05: Erie and Niagara Counties

Territory 06: Livingston, Monroe, Ontario, Seneca, Wayne and Yates Counties

Territory 00: Remainder of State

(1) For a first excess layer providing $1 million/$3 million of excess coverage above $1 million/$3 million primary coverage, and purchased directly by a physician, the rate shall be 9.4 percent of the $1 million/$3 million rate for primary coverage established for the Medical Malpractice Insurance Plan in accordance with subdivision (d) of this section.

(2) For a first excess layer providing $1 million/$3 million of excess coverage above $1 million/$3 million primary coverage, and purchased by a hospital in accordance with section 18 of chapter 184 of the Laws of 1988 as amended by chapter 147 of the Laws of 2000, the rate shall be 9.9 percent of the $1 million/$3 million rate for primary coverage established for the Medical Malpractice Insurance Plan in accordance with subdivision (c) of this section.

(3) For a second excess layer providing $1 million/$3 million of excess coverage above the underlying primary coverage and the first layer of excess coverage described in paragraph (1) or (2) of this subdivision, the rate shall be 5.0 percent of the $1 million/$3 million rate for primary coverage established for the Medical Malpractice Insurance Plan in accordance with subdivision (c) of this section.

(1) Claims-made coverage rate. The rate for a claims-made policy shall be the corresponding occurrence rate multiplied by the appropriate claims-made factor, as follows:

(2) Optional extended reporting period (tail) rates.

(1) When a physician insured under a claims-made policy changes either classification, territory or both, the rate applicable to such physician shall be adjusted to reflect the fact that claims made under the policy after the change could include claims for occurrences which took place under the former classification or territory. The presence of a loading for pre-paid extended reporting period coverage in the rate structure complicates what would otherwise be a relatively simple calculation, in that the amount of such loading applicable to the difference in rates before and after the change must be considered. Accordingly, all insurers should use the procedure established by section 70.14(f)(2) of this Part.

(2) All insurers providing claims-made coverage subject to this Part shall:

(3) For the purposes of this subdivision, the term classification shall include changes from full-time to part-time or part-time to full-time practice.

(1) Pursuant to chapter 147 of the Laws of 2000, excess coverage policies providing $1 million/$3 million of excess coverage above $1 million/ $3 million of primary coverage, purchased by general hospitals on behalf of physicians, shall cover occurrences from July 1, 2000, through June 30, 2001. Accordingly, all physicians' and surgeons' medical malpractice liability insurers, and only such insurers, shall issue such an excess policy on an occurrence basis.

(2) Excess coverage policies issued or renewed on and after July 1, 2000, shall provide coverage on either an occurrence or claims-made basis, subject to paragraph (1) of this subdivision, provided that:

(1) No later than December 29, 2000, all physicians' medical malpractice liability insurers shall file required amended rate manual pages with the superintendent in accordance with the rates established by this Part. Insurers writing, or required to write, coverage for which rates are not specifically established by this Part shall file proposed rates with supporting documentation by December 29, 2000.

(2) A physicians' medical malpractice liability rate filed by a rate service organization on behalf of its members and subscribers shall be established in accordance with this Part and any such organization shall make appropriate filings by December 29, 2000.

(3) The rates and rating plans for medical malpractice liability insurance issued by an insurer to a Federal purchasing group and its members shall be established in accordance with the provisions of this Part, except that, if the insurer and purchasing group have complied with all applicable provisions of the Liability Risk Retention Act, 15 USC 3901 et seq. (see section 70.1[m] of this Part) and Part 301 of this Title, and if the insurer submits rates or a rating plan affording advantages, based upon the purchasing group's loss and expense experience, not afforded to other persons, the superintendent shall review such submission, and thereafter establish rates or a rating plan, as appropriate, reflecting such advantages. Any such insurer presently issuing such coverage shall file proposed rates with adequate documentation by December 29, 2000.