2129 Medical Care Availability and Reduction of Error Fund; notice of and amount of assessment action; notice 2003-09

Medical Care Availability and Reduction of Error Fund; Notice of and Amount of Assessment Action; Notice 2003-09

[33 Pa.B. 5483]

   The Insurance Department (Department), Medical Care Availability and Reduction of Error Fund, by Sarah H. Lawhorne, Special Assistant to the Insurance Commissioner, under section 712 of the Medical Care Availability and Reduction of Error (MCARE) Act (act) (40 P. S. § 1303.712), has determined that the annual assessment to be levied for calendar year 2004 shall be 46% applied to the prevailing primary premium for each participating health care provider.

   The act defines ''prevailing primary premium'' as the schedule of occurrence rates approved by the Insurance Commissioner for the Joint Underwriting Association (JUA). For purposes of the 2004 annual assessment, the JUA rates to be used are $500,000 per occurrence/$1.5 million per annual aggregate for participating health care providers other than hospitals and $500,000 per occurrence/$2.5 million per annual aggregate for hospitals.

   Participating health care providers having approved self-insurance plans shall be assessed an amount equal to the assessment imposed on a participating health care provider of like class, size, risk and kind as determined by the Department.

   Payment of this assessment will be deferred until April 1, 2004. Therefore, for all policies which incept or renew before April 1, the assessment is not due until 60 days later.

   In addition, Governor Rendell continues to pursue abatement of this 2003-2005 assessment through the legislative process.

   This action is subject to 1 Pa. Code Part II (relating to the General Rules of Administrative Practice and Procedure)

SARAH H. LAWHORNE,   
Special Assistant to the Insurance Commissioner

[Pa.B. Doc. No. 03-2129. Filed for public inspection October 31, 2003, 9:00 a.m.]