NEW YORK, N.Y., February 7 – J. M. Woodworth Risk Retention Group (RRG), has registered with the New York Insurance Department to offer medical malpractice insurance to physicians and surgeons in the state, according to Sanford D. Elsass, president and CEO of The Uni-Ter Group, which manages the company under contract to the board of directors.

The RRG was formed in partnership with Rochester, N.Y.-based Paris-Kirwan Associates, Inc., a provider of insurance to the health care industry, Elsass explained, adding that J.M. Woodworth works exclusively through independent insurance agents with Paris-Kirwan acting as wholesale broker.

J. M. Woodworth will provide medical malpractice insurance to doctors who become shareholders in the company, Elsass explained. Medical malpractice insurance policies written by the RRG will be on a paid claims form, under which liability for the indemnity shifts to the insurers when the claim is paid, rather than at the time of occurrence. Elsass said that this allows premiums to be set on the basis of actual costs when incidents are incurred instead of reserved estimates.

As part of its contract, The Uni-Ter Group will provide professional risk management services to help physicians and surgeons insured by the RRG avoid claims, noted Elsass.

For more information, contact Skip Pleninger at Paris-Kirwan Associates, Inc. (585-461-6427; skipp@paris-kirwan.com), or Nadeene Wood-Clater at The Uni-Ter Group (678-781-2435; nwoodclater@uni-ter.com).