S.C. Code § 38-79-120

Current through 2024 Act No. 225.

Section 38-79-120 - Association created; membership as a condition of authority to transact insurance; purpose

(1) A joint underwriting association (association) is created, containing as members all insurers authorized to write and report net-direct written premiums for medical malpractice insurance, medical professional liability insurance, hospital professional liability insurance, or any other type of professional liability insurance in this State covering the professional liability risks of licensed health care providers. Membership also includes foreign and domestic risk retention groups and captive insurers authorized to write and report net-direct premiums for medical malpractice insurance, medical professional liability insurance, hospital professional liability insurance, or any other type of professional liability insurance in this State covering the professional liability risk of licensed health care providers, and authorized to do business in accordance with the provisions of this title. The South Carolina Insurance Reserve Fund is not a member of the association. Each insurer described above is and must remain a member of the association as a condition of the authorization to transact the sale of insurance in this State. The membership of the association shall continue as members in the South Carolina Medical Malpractice Association upon its creation as provided in Section 38-79-300.

(2) The purpose of the association is to ensure the availability of medical malpractice and other types of professional liability insurance for health care providers on a self-supporting basis to the fullest extent possible. The intent of the General Assembly in enacting this section is to eliminate the accumulated deficit of the association and of the fund and to transition the association over time to a market of last resort so that it is no longer in competition with the private market. Specifically, the General Assembly does not intend that the South Carolina Joint Underwriting Association offer rates that are competitive to the private market.

Amended by 2019 S.C. Acts, Act No. 67 (HB 3760),s 1, eff. 5/16/2019.

1993 Act No. 181, Section 830; 1988 Act No. 306, Section 2; 1987 Act No. 155, Section 1.

2005 Act No. 32, Section 15, provides as follows:

"As a majority of the health care community is insured through the South Carolina Medical Malpractice Joint Underwriting Association and the Patients' Compensation Fund and as it is essential for the General Assembly to understand the effects of changes to tort laws, the South Carolina Department of Insurance is given authority to request data regarding changes in claims practices from the South Carolina Medical Malpractice Joint Underwriting Association and the Patients' Compensation Fund. Such data may include paid claims, paid loss adjustment expense, case reserves, bulk reserves, and claim counts by quarter for the previous five years. The department may make such a request of the South Carolina Medical Malpractice Joint Underwriting Association and the Patients' Compensation Fund and such information must be provided within thirty days.

"The Department of Insurance shall report annually to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the President Pro Tempore of the Senate, and the Governor as to whether this and other related enactments have resulted in reductions in premiums and as to any other trends of significance which might impact premium cost."

2005 Act No. 32, Section 21(B), provides as follows:

"Upon approval by the Governor, this act takes effect July 1, 2005, for causes of action arising after July 1, 2005, except that as of this act's effective date, the State Treasurer shall relinquish the management of funds in the Patients' Compensation Fund, created pursuant to Section 38-79-420, to the Board of Governors of the fund, and premiums paid on or after this act's effective date must be deposited with the Board of Governors of the fund. The fund must be fully transferred to the Board of Governors, and the State Treasurer may not hold any deposits of the fund as of ninety days after this act's effective date."