Costa Rican insurers received 2120 claims after the earthquake on September 5, relating to damage to homes.
The National Insurance Institute (INS), Mapfre Seguros de Costa Rica and Assa Insurance Company are the three insurers in the country authorized to market this type of policy.
Most of the claims are being processed by the INS, with 1,012 homes and 1,040 for business premises, Mapfre and Assa have 40 and 25.
Despite the de-monopolization of the market four years ago, state institutions continue to obtain their insurance with the National Insurance Institute (INS).
An article in Nacion.com reports that "Although the Law Regulating the Insurance Market (LRMS) leaves open the possibility for public sector entities to buy private insurance policies, few enterprises have contracted their services."
Four years after the de-monopolization of the market, the National Institute of Insurance holds 91.5% of insurance premiums and 12 private insurance companies have won the remaining 8.5%.
An analysis of the topic made by Juan Pablo Arias in his article in Nacion.com, shows that the main benefit of the new competitive environment is growth of the sector in terms of policies issued, which increased by 24% from the date of de-monopolization, with growth attributed to the lowered rates.
Oceánica de Seguros, founded on Venezuelan capital, is the tenth insurance company to be incorporated into the Costa Rican market after its de-monopolization in 2008.
The superintendent of insurance, Javier Cascante, said the company, which is the eleventh to join the insurance market after its opening, will have a joint operating license, for personal and general policies.
Mer-Link, a system that handles 80% of government purchases, is not able to grant awards because of a legal action brought by the competing system CompraRed, which is also state run.
Hundreds of purchases involving amounts of millions of dollars and which are vital for state agencies such as the Instituto Costarricense de Electricidad, the University of Costa Rica and the National Insurance Institute, have been paralyzed.
Two new companies sold 17% of this sector of the Costa Rican market.
Panamerican Life and Seguros de Alico are the main rivals of the National Insurance Institute (INS), with a share of 14% of the personal insurance policies sold in the Costa Rican market, while other private companies control 4%.
The INS still retains 83% of the market, reported Nacion.com.
After the fall of the state monopoly on the insurance market, there is still little competition in the insurance ‘auto-expendables’ segment.
Despite losing the monopoly legally, the state run National Insurance Institute (INS) continues to dominate market segments, including "fast" insurance policies known as ‘auto-expendables’ in Spanish.
A report by Fitch notes the momentum in the insurance sector in Central America and its growth potential.
From the report by Fitch Central America is entitled "Performance of Insurance Industry Central America: Well Positioned for Growth ":
The insurance industry in Central America managed to increase premium production by 12% compared to 2010, where Panama, Guatemala and Honduras recorded an above-average growth.
Privatization has attracted several foreign insurers and consumers are already benefiting from freedom of choosing between different options.
From 1924 to 2008, insurance was a state monopoly. Although this scheme was useful to the country and society in the twentieth century, it was impossible to continue in this way in a globalized market. Costa Rica suffered from a lack of modernization and diversification of the insurance market, and especially the absence of a regulatory agency.
Insurers sold premiums worth $273.7 million in the first quarter, largely due to vehicle insurance.
An increase in the number of vehicles, rising prices for parts and road realignment works are factors in a higher number of claims, which has led to an increase in insurance sales.
In the first three months of 2012, premiums totaled $273.7 million, reported the Insurance and Reinsurance Superintendence of Panama (SSRP in Spanish), according to Laestrella.com.pa.
The number of insurance intermediary companies grew by 75% from 8 to 14 in the last twelve months.
The number of insurance brokers in Costa Rica is now 14, a significant increase, up 75% from March 2011 to March 2012. While the number of intermediaries has increased, the number of insurance companies in decreased to nine during the same period, a reduction of 11.4%.
The total exclusivity requirement imposed by the National Institute of Insurance on agencies who sell their insurance, is an anticompetitive mechanism that is making it difficult for the market to open up.
In his blog " Mercado Seguro " in Elfinancierocr.com, attorney and insurance specialist Said Breedy analyzes the criteria issued by the Commission to Promote Competition (COPROCOM) on the exclusivity clause in agency contracts with the National Institute Insurance (INS) in place since 2007.
The institution said it will invest a total of $270 million during 2012, mainly in the construction of a Trauma Hospital and IT modernization.
These initiatives were conceived in 2007 when the institution outlined its Integrated Plan for Competitiveness, said William Constenla, CEO of the Instituto Costarricense de Seguros (INS).
The Trauma Hospital, which will specialize in the treatment of accidents, is scheduled to be ready in June 2013, and will have 220 beds and eight operating rooms on five levels, and will employ about 400 people.
In Costa Rica private insurers have come into the market, primarily selling life and car insurance, with customers seeing lower rates.
Although the National Institute of Insurance (INS) remains the undisputed market leader, private insurers are gradually gaining ground, particularly in the areas of auto and life policies.
The INS, an agency which has been in existence for 84 years, still controls 97% of the auto insurance market and 94% of life policies. In the former, in which $200 million worth of business was done in 2011, only Mapfre Seguros has taken a toll on the quasi-monopoly of the INS, taking 3% of the market, according to data released by Nacion.com.