Ten years after the elimination of the insurance monopoly in Costa Rica, private insurers have managed to "steal" from the state company about 12% of the market.
Mapfre Seguros, Sagicor, Assa Compañía de Seguros and Best Meridian Insurance are some of the 12 private companies that have been competing in the Costa Rican insurance market since 2008, when the law came into force opening up the business which for more than 80 years was in the hands of a single company, Instituto Nacional de Seguros.
The OECD Consumer Policy Committee has approved policies on insurance and private pensions, and recommended improving risk-based supervision and promoting the participation of more insurers.
From a statement issued by the Ministry of Foreign Trade:
The Superintendency of Insurance in Costa Rica is planning to start the process of opening up the market for compulsory automobile insurance in the first quarter.
In order to liberalize the market for compulsory automobile insurance, there first needs to be a review and approval of a decree which will focus on the regulation of the sale of insurance from the National Insurance Institute (INS) to private companies.
Fitch Ratings expects moderate growth in premiums in Costa Rica, increased interest in personal insurance in Guatemala, and stable performance in Nicaragua and Honduras.
From the report "Outlook 2015: Central American Insurance Sector":
In Costa Rica insurance companies are seeking to increase sales of policies to SMEs and take advantage of a hitherto untapped market.
Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) represent 77% of businesses in the country, and therefore insurers are seeking to enter this market niche which has not been fully exploited.
The Costa Rican State insurance company will have to pay $174,000 as a penalty for "improving any offer made by their competition to their customers."
The Antitrust Commission imposed a fine of 94 million colones ($174,000) on Instituto Nacional de Seguros (INS) in a case reported by the Superintendent of Insurance in 2011, a year after the opening up of the market.
US insurer BlueCross BlueShield, has announced the opening of its operations in the country, which will be part of the Puerto Rican Triple-S Group.
From a statement issued by BlueCross BlueShield Costa Rica:
Insurer arrives in the country with plans for complementary health
• Member of the BlueCross BlueShield Association (BCBSA), an organization of more than 37 healthcare companies in the United States and other countries and which serves, through them, over 100 million policyholders.
The sale of life, accident and health insurance rose from $113 million in June 2013 to $148 million in the same month in 2014.
Figures from the Superintendence of Insurance (SUG) show the growing interest on the part of Costa Ricans in policies for medical expenses and life coverage. While the premiums for personal expenses policies, including the two mentioned above, grew by 21% last year, the increase in overall policies in the same period was 12%. In total they invested $566 million.
The state run Nacional de Seguros and PanAmerican Life share 88% of the market in the segment of accident and health policies.
The segment for Accident and Health policies showed that up to March 2014 the majority market share was held by Instituto Nacional de Seguros (INS) with 46.4% and 41.7% was held by Pan American Life, according to the Superintendent of Insurance (SUGESE). The remaining 11.9% is made up of the Insurers Aseguradora del Istmo, with 7.4%, and other market participants (Mapfre, BMI, Atlantic Sauther, SM) with 4.5%.
With the exception of the left wing party, most of the presidential candidates propose maintaining or strengthening the insurance market.
Strengthening, maintaining the legislation as it is and enhancing control over the market are the proposals of the candidates of the parties Unidad Social Cristina, Liberación Nacional and Movimiento Libertario, respectively .
In the last interannual period personal insurance increased by 11%, general by 5% and compulsory by 9%.
From a bulletin on the Insurance Sector in November 2013 by the Superintendency of Insurance:
BASIC INDICATORS
The total amount of direct premiums collected reached c436,3 billion in November 2013. The involvement of voluntary insurance equaled the average of the last four annual periods - Nov 20l0-Nov 20l3), 73%.
Five years after the opening up of the market, there have been 500 new products and some prices have dropped by up to 40%, but penetration is still low.
In an interview with María Morales from Markets & Trends undertaken with the Superintendent of Insurance in Costa Rica, Tomas Soley, the official explained that the opening of the market has led competitors to offer more value added products.
Since the opening of the insurance market in 2008, this segment has doubled, being worth $60 million at the end of 2012.
According to figures from the Superintendency of Insurance (SUG), between January and August this year, insurers paid out a total of $34 million in claims for health and accident insurance.
After five years of monopolization, there are 13 insurers, 17 brokers companies, 63 agency companies and 49 auto insurance operators competing in the Costa Rican insurance market.
Nacion.com reports: "Also noteworthy is the 442 products registered up to June this year, surpassing the 159 registered in the same month in 2010."
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