Some of you may have received information recently regarding a Texas medical liability company that has purchased the Mississippi Medical Malpractice Availability Plan (MMAP), the so-called risk pool created by the legislature in 2003 in response to the malpractice crisis that began in the 1990s.

Or, you may have received correspon-dence from an insurance agency in Hattiesburg that apparently repre-sents several medical liability carriers.

Or, you may have been contacted by any number of other companies or agents who have recently developed an interest in writing med-mal coverage in Mississippi.

Although we do not know a lot about any of these companies, we have no reason to believe that they are not well-financed, reputable organizations, and we are pleased that physicians in Mississippi now

have alternatives when it comes to purchasing liability insurance.

We are not surprised to see other carriers willing to write in our state now. In fact, we would be surprised if it were otherwise. The entire medical liability industry appears to be in a soft market, and Mississippi, in particular, has become very attractive, especially since the legal environment has improved so much.

We do not know what rates any of these new companies will be charging, but we must repeat some admonitions that we suggested in previous soft markets.

First and foremost, if you get a quote that is less than MACM’s current rate, be very cautious. We remain convinced that no company can write policies in this state below ours and stay in business for any extended period of time. We know the market better than anyone, we

have a much better, more thorough underwriting process, and we execute all insurance processes (claims, underwriting, risk management, marketing, etc.) from one building in Mississippi. Furthermore, we are not profit driven, and we do not pay agents’ commissions. It just seems incredible to us that any company can effectively compete against our obvious advantages, especially at a lower premium rate.

Secondly, we exist only to insure Mississippi physicians who practice in Mississippi. As we have already proven, we will not abandon our policyholders if and when times get rough and the next hard market develops. Those of you who have been in practice for at least 10 years will remember what happened in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Those companies who did not go bankrupt (and at least two companies writing in Mississippi did just that,

Third Quarter 2008

Message froM the president and ceo

president’s message continued on page 4in this issue2

2008 caldwell award Winner announced at MsMa annual session

32009 renewal forms due Back to

MacM by september 8

2

Joy Houston, MD, a psychiatry resident at the University of Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson, has been named the recipient of the 2008 Robert S. Caldwell, MD Memorial Award by Medical Assurance Company of Mississippi. This annual award was presented to Dr. Houston on May 30, 2008, during the House of Delegates meeting at the 140th Mississippi State Medical Association Annual Session.

Each year, Medical Assurance Company of Mississippi presents the Caldwell Memorial Award in the interest of furthering medical/legal education in Mississippi. This award is given in recognition of excellence in medical care, record keeping, leadership, and high standards in teaching medical students and fellow residents.

Chosen to receive this award by an ad hoc committee of UMMC faculty, Dr. Houston was recognized for her compassion in working with patients and their families.

“Dr. Houston is a thorough and exacting clinician who understands the important aspects of not only providing patient care, but also maintaining concise, complete and meaningful medical records,” Dr. Allen Richert, program director of the UMMC Department of Psychiatry, said. “Dr. Houston’s communication skills go beyond the written word and include the ability to interact compassionately, empathetically and professionally with patients, families and her peers.”

In 2000, Dr. Houston graduated from Millsaps College with a degree in psychology. She received her medical

Joy houston, Md naMed recipient at MsMa annual session

MacM Medical director Michael d. Maples, Md and caldwell award Winner Joy houston, Md

2008 roBert s. caldWell, Md aWard

degree from the University of Mississippi School of Medicine in 2004.

The Robert S. Caldwell Award is entitled in memory of the late General Surgeon from Tupelo who was instrumental in the formation of Medical Assurance Company of Mississippi. Dr. Caldwell served on MACM’s first Board of Directors and was elected the Company’s first Secretary. At the time of his death, Dr. Caldwell was President-Elect of the Mississippi State Medical Association.

MacM Board MeMBer naMed faMily physician of the yearMACM Board Member George R. Bush, MD was recently recognized as Family Physician of the Year by the Mississippi Academy of Family Physicians at its 59th Annual Convention held in Sandestin, Florida, July 13-17, 2008.

This award is presented annually to a physician contributing the most to the development of Family Medicine in the state. It is known as the John B. Howell Memorial Award and was established in memory of Dr. Howell, a pioneer in the practice of Family Medicine.

Dr. Bush is in group practice at Westridge Family Clinic in Laurel. He graduated from the University of Mississippi School of Medicine and completed his

Family Medicine residency at the University Medical Center where he served as Chief Resident. He is a past chief of staff of South Central Regional Medical Center and a former member of the Board of Trustees of the Mississippi State Medical Association. Dr. Bush has been a member of the MACM Board of Directors since 1992.

Dr. Bush has served in many offices and on numerous committees, including leading the Mississippi Academy of Family Physicians as President from 1989-1990 and Alternate Delegate and Delegate to the American Academy of Family Physicians for several years. He has had many students

Mafp family physician of the year continued on page 4

dr. george r. Bush

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Each year in August, the MACM Underwriting Department begins putting together renewal packets for over 2,900 physician and clinic policies. This year, these packets will be mailed to all insureds by late August and will have a due date of September 8, 2008.

When you receive your renewal packet this year, please take a few minutes to fill it out completely. Read and answer all questions thoroughly. New questions have been added to this year’s form and other questions may have changed.

Following are some ways that will help us make this process easier.

Return the Renewal Information Form by the first requested date. The Underwriting Department includes a staff of six that are responsible for renewing over 2,900 policies by the first week of December. This process includes reviewing each policy individually, indentifying new information, calculating a new premium, and scanning the renewal form into the computer system. The sooner we receive your Renewal Form, the sooner your policy can be renewed.

Answer every question with Yes or No. Every question included on the renewal form is there for a reason. Please answer each one (even if it does not apply to your specialty). Also, please provide additional information or an explanation if requested.

Include letters from treating physicians as requested. Proper documentation of all treatments that an insured has undergone is critical to the renewal process. Please follow up with your treating physician and assist us in getting letters and documentation in a timely manner.

Provide the correct information in the Corporate/Business section. The exact name of any entity (for example, PA, PLLC, etc.) is important to make sure the appropriate coverage is issued. If we have the incorrect legal name of your practice, you may not have coverage.

Include contracts if you are requesting Contractual Liability or Additional Interest Entity coverage. We cannot consider coverage for you if we do not have access to the appropriate contracts and documentation.

If you answer “Yes” to any questions related to the ER, you must complete the additional section. Please provide us with all of the information

requested so that we can provide the appropriate coverage.

Request the correct Certificates of Insurance. Listed on the renewal form are the facilities for which you have previously requested a Certificate of Insurance. Please review this section for accuracy and edit if necessary so that we can provide your COIs as quickly as possible to the correct facilities.

Don’t forget to sign your Renewal Information Form. The RIF will not be valid and will not be processed without your signature.

Use your physical address for your home address. Below the line for your signature, a space is provided for your home address. If a post office box is listed, your application cannot be processed and you will receive a follow up phone call. Please be assured that none of the information you provide will be released outside of the MACM offices.

Return your Renewal Information Form by postal mail or hand delivery. Only the original RIF can be accepted. Please do not fax your form back to us.

Notify us of ANY changes to your practice. Be sure to submit any changes to your practice as requested on the Renewal Information Form (for example, new procedures, partners, locations, employees). If we are not notified of changes to your practice, you may not be covered in the event of a claim. Therefore, it is important to notify us during the year as well.

Please alert your staff now to look for the 2009 Renewal Information packets in late August. Working together, we will once again have a successful renewal process.

fast factshoW to have a successful reneWal process

renewal applications due september 8, 2008

Medical assurance coMpany of Mississippi404 West Parkway PlaceRidgeland, Mississippi 39157

601.605.4882800.325.4172macm.net

Information contained in this publication is obtained from sources considered to be reliable. However, accuracy and completeness cannot be guaranteed. Information herein should not be regarded as legal advice.

The Monitor is a publication of Medical Assurance Company of Mississippi.Editor: Wendy Powell

prst stdu.s. postage

paidJackson, Ms

permit no. 775

one leaving its policyholders with only limited protection from the Mississippi Guaranty Fund and the others with no protection whatsoever, even for claims already reported), simply got out of the med-mal business altogether or pulled out of Mississippi.

Third, there is a market for companies who genuinely want to help Mississippi physicians. We have said that it has never been our goal to insure every doctor in the state. We believe we could, if we really wanted to. We have no target number or percentage of physicians that we wish to insure. We will continue to do business as we always have, in the good times and bad, by evaluating requests and insuring those physicians who desire coverage and meet our underwriting guidelines for same.

As always, I thank you for your support of and participation in MACM.

Sincerely,

Michael D. HouptPresident and CEO

4

president’s message continued from page 1and residents rotate through his clinic during his 29 years of medical practice as he served as supervisor of students and residents with the University of Mississippi Medical Center Department of Family Medicine.

Dr. Bush is an officer of First Baptist Church of Laurel Sunday School and an active deacon. He has been active with youth baseball and served for 25 years as team doctor for the Laurel High School Tornado football team. Dr. Bush is an avid outdoorsman and has been a lifetime member of the Missississippi Wildlife Federation and is a Director at Large of the Mississippi Wildlife Foundation. Dr. Bush and his wife, Nancy, have raised two sons, Kyle and Richard, and have four grandchildren.

Dr. Bush has been a member of the American and Mississippi Academy of Family Physicians since 1979.

Mafp family physician of the year continued from page 2