Income from voluntary insurance premiums grew by 25% compared to April 2015, due in most part to the increase in personal insurance.
From the quarterly report by the Superintendent of Insurance of Costa Rica:
"Revenues from voluntary insurance premiums increased by 25% in relation to April 2015, reaching ¢265 billion colones.The growth of this type of insurance remains one of the main driving forces, but its growth responds, on the one hand, to an increase of ¢ 38.6 billion colones in the SOA, since RT premiums decreased by ¢12.9 billion colones.
Insurers have started to issue these policies which compete with bank share and performance guarantees.
The National Insurance Institute (INS) and Oceánica Seguros are the two companies which have been offering such policies since this year. Meanwhile, the company ASSA will start to offer them in in 2015 and Mapre is still adjusting its offers with a view to supplying them in the future.
Between January and September revenue from sales of these policies increased by 74% compared to the same period in 2013, with the sale of group insurance policies to companies being the factor driving the growth.
According to data from the Superintendent of Insurance, in January-September, the sector as a whole has accumulated $116 million in premiums for such policies.
The Superintendent of Insurance is preparing a bill to promote market development by encouraging the installation of foreign reinsurance companies in the country.
The bill, still in draft form, aims to attract major reinsurance companies to the country and use the market already operating in the country as a platform. In turn, the legislation would also increase "...
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 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).
During the first half of 2012, the insurance sector in Latin America had a premium volume of $77,085 million, maintaining growth rates of two digits.
According to César Quevedo, deputy director of the Institute of Science at Seguro de Fundación Mapfre, the insurance industry is "key" to this global market.
On presenting the report, "The Latin American insurance market," the official noted that this "is a key region for the present and future in global insurance."
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.
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.
Three years since the privatisation of the insurance sector, the state agency (INS) remains the main entity in the market.
The market dominance of the National Insurance Institute (INS), with 94% of total premium income, is, in the opinion of the Association of Private Insurance (AAP), a result of the supervision exercised by the Superintendency of Insurance (Sugese).
In the newly privatised insurance market, companies are competing with the National Insurance Institute (INS in Spanish) to increase their portfolios.
Last June, according to the premium income figures, registered insurance lines and assets, INS was first, followed by Assa and Alico with its life and health insurance lines.
"Where Assa stands out is in general insurance, where in the first half of this year it accumulated almost $6.7 million in premiums paid, this amount was generated by 42 different products, especially those covering property damage", wrote Sergio Morales on Elfinancierocr.com.
Insurance companies are fighting it on the streets and going door-to-door.
The insurance market was open to the competition by private operators back in 2009. This has led market players to become much more aggressive in the search for new clients and in the fight to keep old ones.
The various companies now competing in the market are in varied phase of existence: "...some have advantages over others, such is the case of the National Insurance Institute (INS). The market can be split in two phases: the organization of insurers and the open battle for customers", reported Elfinancierocr.com.
The country's new insurance law restricts which products agents can sell but the restrictions do not apply to brokers.
Insurance agents, due to their contractual relationship with insurance companies, can only offer their products. However, they may do this with different insurers at the same time, provided that these companies' products belong to different categories.
The Panamanian insurer will offer offer 25 products in Costa Rica, available in both dollars and colones, the local currency.
In a press conference, the insurance company unveiled half of its product portfolio, already available to the public. These products will be sold via brokers and agents.
"ASSA has invested $9 million and expects to create around 31 new jobs in its first year of operations," reports Elfinanciercr.com.