Competition Council asks Government to cancel malpractice tender

The Competition Council has noted that the Competition Law was breached when the National Health Insurance Bureau (CNAS) accredited only four insurers to conclude malpractice insurance contracts for doctors, nurses, hospitals and pharmacists.
Last month, CNAS decided to mandate only Astra, Asirom, Ardaf and Allianz-tiriac to sell this type of insurance to the medical staff the Bureau works with. Each of the companies was awarded a contract for a distinct category.
“Such a decision is bound to breach the law, because of its anti-competition characteristics. We have already sent a memo to the Health Ministry and the Government’s General Secretariat,” said Cristina Butacu, the Competition Council spokesperson.
“In accordance with art. 27, letter i of the Competition Law no 21/1996, the Competition Council has requested the intervention of the Government’s General Secretariat and of the Health and Family Ministry, to reinstate the normal competitive environment on the market of civil liability insurance in the medical field, compelling CNAS to cancel Decision no 139/11.03.2003, thus allowing the Competition Law stipulations to be met,” shows a Competition Council release sent two days ago to insurance company Generali.
Generali, which tried to enter the selection but submitted the documents about 20-30 minutes after the deadline, had filed a complaint to the Competition Council, arguing that CNAS had broken the Competition Law.
“We only submitted the documents later because the so-called tender was organised very hastily. We are not upset because we lost a deal, as these revenues are not significant for the company’s portfolio, but because this has affected our image on the medical market, where we were already operating. We just cannot understand why we can no longer sell this type of insurance and why another selection has been made, although the companies had already been authorised by the Insurance Supervision Commission,” said Tudor Moldovan, a director with Generali.
For the insurers, this is a deal worth some 15-20 million euros, as doctors are insured for 50,000 euros (the annual premium – 60 euros), surgeons and dentists for 125,000 euros (125 euros in annual premium), while the nurses are insured for 30,000 euros (36 euros in annual premium). sorin.pislaru@zf.ro