Rural Medical Access Program

INSTRUCTIONS

Outline of filing requirements and due dates. The following is intended to help insurers understand and comply with RMAP. The governing statute is Title 24-A M.R.S.A., Chapter 75, §6301-6311 and Maine Regulation Chapter 630. Please refer to the entire Statute and Regulation for a complete understanding of the Program.

RMAP’s Purpose

RMAP’s purpose is to promote prenatal services in under served areas in Maine (24-A M.R.S. § 6302). It does so by collecting assessments from insured and self-insured medical doctors, osteopaths, hospitals and employers of physicians and osteopaths.  Eligible physicians receive assistance with their professional malpractice insurance premiums through the Program.

Eligibility

To be eligible, a physician must be licensed and practicing in Maine, provide prenatal care and delivery services, and practice at least 50% in an under served area of the state (24-A M.R.S. §6307). The Maine Department of Health and Human Services determines which physicians are eligible and what areas are under served.

How is the Assessment Collected?

Physicians, hospitals, and physicians’ employers who are insured for professional liability through a licensed insurer or an eligible surplus lines insurer shall pay the assessment to the insurer upon the insurers’ premium billing, which should include the RMAP assessment. [6304(1)]

Physicians, hospitals, and physicians’ employers who are insured for professional liability through any entity other than a licensed or surplus lines eligible insurer or who do not purchase professional liability insurance are defined as “self-insured”. [§6303(3)] Self-insured physicians and hospitals are mailed an instructional packet annually to pay the RMAP assessment.

RMAP Funding

To fund the program, RMAP requires insurers (licensed and surplus lines eligible) to collect assessments on medical malpractice premiums from:

  • Medical doctors
  • Osteopaths
  • Hospitals, and
  • Employers of medical doctors and osteopaths.

RMAP requires self-insureds to send their assessments to the principal writer of medical malpractice insurance in Maine.

Insurers must invest collected funds as provided in the Investments chapter of the Insurance Code, 24-A M.R.S. §§ 1101 – 1137 (with earned interest being credited to RMAP) and hold them until the Superintendent orders a premium assistance payment to an eligible physician or the transfer of funds to the principal writer of medical malpractice in Maine.

Principal Writer

The Superintendent determines the principal writer annually.  It currently is Medical Mutual Insurance Company.  The remittance address is:
Medical Mutual Insurance Company
RMAP Assessment
One City Center
P.O. Box 15275
Portland, ME 04112-5275

Assessment Rate

Effective July 1, 2023, the Acting Superintendent decreased the assessment rate from 0.5% to 0.4% of premium.  The rate will remain at 0.4% until it is necessary change in the rate as provided in 24-A M.R.S. §6305(4).

Letter from Superintendent Regarding RMAP Assessment Rate (PDF)

Quarterly Reports

Insurers must report to the Bureau, within 30 days after the end of each calendar quarter:

Annual Reports

Insurers must report to the Bureau by September 1 for the preceding program year ending June 30 as follows:

  • RMAP annual reports should include the name of the physician, hospital, or employer; the physician’s Maine license number; the policy number; the policy effective date; the premium amount; and the assessment collected. The physician’s license number must be in a separate field in the file. The Bureau uses license numbers to determine which physicians have not paid their assessments.
  • Annual reports should be in an Excel-compatible electronic format.  Reports may be submitted on a disk, by e-mail to the Bureau contact (see below), or by drop-box.
  • Annual reports should separate program years (i.e. 15-16 and 16-17) from each other. Each year must be reported individually and balances must be maintained for each year. Never move “left over” funds from an older program year to another year unless directed by the Bureau.

Annual reports for more than one insurer in a group should show each insurer’s information separately.

Instructions and Forms for Self-Insured Physicians

Bureau Contact

If you have any questions about RMAP, please contact:
Jane Lathrop
Bureau of Insurance
34 State House Station
Augusta, ME 04333
Phone: (207) 624-8492
Fax: (207) 624-8599
E-mail: jane.g.lathrop@maine.gov