In the first seven months of this year in Panama, $864 million worth of premiums were written, an amount that exceeds by 3% the value reported in the same period in 2017.
According to figures from the Superintendency of Insurance and Reinsurance, between the first seven months of 2017 and the same period in 2018, the value of subscribed premiums went from $839 million to $864 million.
The Judicial Power in Honduras is putting out to tender collective life insurance and medical hospital policies for the institution's officials and employees at the national level.
In Panama, industry authorities have ordered insurers to refrain from applying increases to individual premiums that are not contemplated or authorized in health policies.
According to the order given by the Superintendency of Insurance and Reinsurance, insurers that made increases to policies that were unforeseen and not authorized by the regulator, in the last twelve months, will have to refund the excess to customers.
Growth in Personal Accident and Individual Life policies accounted for most of the 12% growth recorded during the fifth month of the year in the Dominican Republic.
In May, compared to 2017, the lines that reported the highest growth were: Bonds, 132%; Personal Accident, 41%; and Individual Life, 34%, reported the Superintendency of Insurance.
In Panama during the first four months of the year $491 million was written in premiums, which is 3% more than the $375 million reported in the same period in 2017.
Growth in policies for health and boats and aircrafts accounted for most of the 19% growth recorded in the first quarter of the year.
Data from the Superintendency of Insurance indicates that during the third month of the year the agricultural and livestock sector registered an increase of 64% compared to March 2017, followed by health insurance, whose premiums increased by 27%.
In Panama during the first three months of the year $367 million was written in premiums, which is 2% more than the $360 million reported in the same period in 2017.
During the first quarter of 2018, the three insurance companies that wrote the largest proportion of these premiums were Assa Compañía de Seguros, Compañía Internacional de Seguros and Mapfre Panamá, with $70 million, $62 million and $56 million, respectively.
The Superintendence of Competition has authorized the purchase of Davivienda Vida Seguros by the Honduran company Inversiones Atlántida.
A statement issued by the Superintendence of Competition (SC) indicates that the purchase of the insurer Davivienda Vida Seguros, S.A., Seguros de Personas (Davivienda Vida), was made through the Salvadoran subsidiary of Grupo Atlántida,Inversiones Financieras Atlántida, S.A.
The Judicial Branch of Guatemala is putting out to tender a medical expenses insurance policy for 156 magistrates of the Supreme Court of Justice and Courts of Appeals.
In Costa Rica, at least five medical centers are preparing to expand their current sites and construct new buildings in different areas of the Greater Metropolitan Area.
A greater supply of insurance for medical expenses, and growth in population density in areas far from the center of the capital are some of the factors that explain the greater demand for private medical services in the country.Added to this is the greater culture of preventative health care that exists in the country, and the poor attention that is provided at the public level.
Three insurers distributed 52% of the premiums generated in January of this year, which in total amounted to $129 million.
In the first month of 2018, the three insurance companies that subscribed the largest proportion of the premiums were Assa Compañía de Seguros, Compañía Internacional de Seguros and Mapfre Panamá, with $32 million, $19 million and $16 million, respectively.
Representatives from the sector stated that in 2017 premiums totalled $627 million, which meant an increase of just 1% with respect to the figures reported in 2016.
According to the Salvadoran Association of Insurance Companies (Ases) last year's performance was associated with lower demand in some sectors, greater competition and a volume of risks that has not increased substantially.
Explained by the behavior of the Costa Rican market, in 2017 Central American insurers received $5.02 billion in premiums, 7% more than in 2016.
According to a report drawn up by Revista Desempeño Asegurador, in 2017 "... insurance sales in the region expressed an absolute increase of US $334.7 million, an amount that represented a rise of 7.1% compared to sales in 2016."
Projections are that this year growth of the Central American insurance sector will be driven by activities in the markets of Costa Rica and Guatemala.
From the report "Prospects 2018: Insurance Sector in Central America" by Fitch Ratings:
Stable Rating Perspective:The rating outlook for the Central Americaninsurancesectoris stable for 2018, given that most of the rated companies maintain a stable outlook on an individual basis.Fitch Ratings believes that the sector shows stable fundamentals, as a result of good profitability levels and high liquidity and capitalization indicators in all countries, which it expects to continue to be reflected in solid balance sheets in companies.
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