Based on the collective financial results of 81 insurers specializing in medical professional liability (MPL) coverage, another good year appears to be in the offing for 2014, even as profit margins will likely decline relative to the levels seen in recent years. Pricing pressure continues to be fueled by increasing surplus levels and the desire to maintain exposures against increasing competition and the potential migration of physicians to self-insured employment settings. The largest remaining uncertainty lies in the likelihood that prior-year reserve releases can be sustained to the extent observed in recent years.

This article was originally published in the July 2014 issue of the Medical Liability Monitor.