IVASS News | Healthcare Liability Risks In Italy (2010-2018)

On 4 October 2019, IVASS announced the results of the last statistical survey on the coverage of healthcare liability risks for the period 2010-2018. Many interesting elements have come to light. In particular:

the amount of premiums collected for medical liability insurance is increasing, being equal to a total amount of € 612 million (+ 3.7% compared to 2017). In particular, such growth has been driven by insurance coverage underwritten by private healthcare facilities (18.7% of the total premiums collected) and by health personnel (38% of the total premiums collected). Instead, the coverage underwritten by public health facilities is still decreasing (-22.6% compared to 2017), in accordance with a long-term trend, pursuant to which the total amount of the premium collected in 2018 decreased by more than half compared to 2010;

non-Italian companies have confirmed their significant role in collecting premiums at public and private facilities (90.1% and 32.9% of the total premiums collected, respectively). The collection of premiums by Italian companies is also increasing (103 million in premiums, against 81 in the previous year);

market concentration among insurance companies remains significant, the five largest companies accounting for (respectively) 93.5%, 82.1% and 64.7% of the premiums paid by public and private health facilities and healthcare personnel; brokers have confirmed their key role in the distribution of policies to public and private healthcare facilities (69.7% and 66.6% of the premiums collected, respectively); in 2018, insurance companies have been notified of 17,262 claims (-9.7% compared to 2017), in accordance with a constant downward trend started in 2012. The 4% of these claims appear to have been solved without payout. Such percentage increases up to more than half if claims notified before 2017 are considered; in general, a...