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Medical liability coverage
for Texas physicians

TMLT history timeline

1979

  • TMLT begins issuing policies, Mario Ramirez, MD becomes the first policyholder.
  • John Lomenzo is named president. TMLT employs 15.

1983

  • TMLT's fifth anniversary — policyholder count reaches 2,900.
  • First partial return on surplus deposit issued.

    • 1989

    • TMLT's 10th anniversary — policyholder count exceeds 5,000.

    1992

    • TMLT receives full endorsement from the Texas Medical Association (TMA).
    • TMLT receives full endorsement from the Texas Academy of Family Physicians and becomes a charter member of the Golden Circle Educational Grant Program.

    1994

    • TMLT's 15th anniversary — policyholder count exceeds 7,500.
    • TMLT earns the endorsement of the Dallas, Tarrant, and Travis county medical societies.

    1995

    • Texas Medical Insurance Company is formed. The Texas Department of Insurance (TDI) orders a rate rollback for regulated carriers. TMLT participates.

    1996

    • Tom Cotten named president and chief executive officer. TMLT becomes a Gold Corporate Affiliate of the Texas Medical Group Management Association.

    1997

  • TMLT web site is launched.
  • TMLT receives provisional accreditation from the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME).

1999

  • TMLT's 20th anniversary — policyholder count exceeds 9,500.
  • TMLT earns the endorsement of the Harris and Bexar county medical societies.

October 1999

  • TMLT 2000 campaign launches, alerting TMLT policyholders that a medical liability crisis is looming.
  • TMLT announces rate increases averaging 13%.

November 1999

  • TMLT becomes fully accredited by the ACCME.

January 2000

  • TMLT participates in TMA's first medical liability data study to evaluate the 3 largest carriers in Texas. The study confirms that claim frequency and severity are escalating.

May 2000

  • The Texas Department of Insurance (TDI) finds that regulated medical malpractice companies in Texas lost a total of $103.5 million in 1999. TMLT posted an $11 million loss in 1999 as well.

January 2001

  • TMLT participates in TMA's second data study. Results show 1 in 4 physicians faced a malpractice claim in 2000.

May 2001

  • The TDI finds that regulated medical malpractice companies in Texas lost a total of $229 million in 2000. TMLT lost $7 million.

July 2001

  • TMLT joins the TMA in the formation of a medical liability consortium — the Texas Alliance for Patient Access (TAPA) — to pursue medical liability reform in 2003.

January 2002

  • TMLT policyholder count reaches 10,500.
  • The TDI announces the number of medical liability carriers in Texas dropped from 17 to 4 in one year. TMLT continues writing business for all specialties in all areas of the state.

April 5, 2002

  • Texas Governor Rick Perry announces a plan to solve the medical liability crisis in Texas. Among the governor's suggestions, capping noneconomic damages at $250,000.

May 6, 2002

  • House Committee on Insurance holds a public hearing on medical liability insurance. TMLT staff testify before the committee.

July 2002

  • In the face of a decline in surplus due to claim frequency and severity, TMLT announces surplus call to policyholders.

Fall 2002

  • TMLT staff serve on the TAPA legislative committee to develop a health care liability reform agenda modeled after California's MICRA statute.

January 24, 2003

  • Governor Perry declares medical liability reform an emergency issue for the 78th Texas Legislature.

June 2, 2003

  • The Texas Legislature passes House Bill 4, including a $250,000 cap on noneconomic damages.

June 2003

  • The historic "rush to the courthouse" begins. From June to October 2003, the TMLT claim department received 1,489 lawsuits, compared with 523 lawsuits received June to October 2002.

Summer 2003

  • The Wall Street Journal publishes an editorial calling the Texas medical liability reforms, "Ten-Gallon Tort Reform."

September 2, 2003

  • TMLT announces it will reduce rates by 12% if the voters pass Proposition 12, the constitutional amendment allowing the legislature to set caps on noneconomic damages.

September 13, 2003

  • Proposition 12 passes, ensuring the medical liability reform measures enacted in 2003 will withstand judicial scrutiny. TMLT announces rate reductions of 12%, to take effect January 1, 2004.

October 2003

  • TMLT awarded Accreditation with Commendation by the ACCME.

December 31, 2003

  • TMLT ends 2003 with 10,922 policyholders.

2004

  • TMLT's 25th anniversary — policyholder count exceeds 12,000.

October 2004

  • TMLT announces another 5% rate reduction to take effect January 1, 2005.

2005

  • TMLT awards $35,000 in medical student scholarships in the first TMLT Memorial Scholarship competition.

October 2005

  • TMLT Board of Governors votes to pay policyholders a 5% dividend credit upon renewal based on Trust earnings and strong capital position. The dividend amounts to approximately $10 million.
  • TMLT again reduces rates by 5% effective January 1, 2006.
  • The practice review discount is increased to 5%.

2006

  • You've Been Sued: Successfully Navigating the Litigation Process, TMLT's first DVD-based CME program is released by the TMLT Risk Management Department.

August 2006

  • Bob Fields is named Acting President and Chief Executive Officer.

October 2006

  • TMLT Board of Governors votes to pay policyholders a 20% dividend credit upon renewal. The dividend amounts to approximately $35 million.
  • TMLT announces another 7.5% rate reduction effective January 1, 2007.

December 31, 2006

  • TMLT wins 73 of 75 cases taken to trial. Indemnity payout is reduced by $25 million. This represents the highest win percentage record and the lowest trial loss record in TMLT history.
  • Policyholder count exceeds 14,000.

July 2007

  • Bob Fields is named President and Chief Executive Officer.

October 2007

  • TMLT Board of Governors votes to pay policyholders a 22% dividend credit upon renewal. The dividend amounts to approximately $35 million
  • TMLT announces another 6.5% rate reduction effective January 1, 2008.

January 2008

  • The Ron Springs' case was filed in Dallas, marking the first federal constitutional challenge to the Texas $250,000 damage cap.

October 2008

  • TMLT Board of Governors votes to pay policyholders a 22.5% dividend credit upon renewal.
  • TMLT announces an average 4.7% rate reduction effective January 1, 2009.

2009

  • TMLT's 30th anniversary — policyholder count exceeds 14,500.

September 2009

  • TMLT Board of Governors votes to pay policyholders a 24% policyholder dividend upon renewal. The dividend amounts to approximately $36 million and is the largest percentage dividend in Trust history.
  • TMLT announces a 1% rate reduction effective January 1, 2010.
  • TMLT launches new web site.

December 2009

  • TMLT awarded Accreditation with Commendation from the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME).

  


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