CNA Study Analyzes Professional Liability Claims, Offers Risk Management Solutions for Long Term Care Organizations

CHICAGO, December 6, 2007 - A new study recently published by CNA insurance companies is an educational resource to assist long term care entities with identifying and managing risk. Transforming Aging Services - CNA HealthPro Long Term Care Claims Study 2001 - 2006 examines key elements of long term care professional liability claims and presents practical risk management strategies that can be incorporated into clinical and operational practices. “The long term care industry is on the brink of exciting and dramatic changes, which extend across business segment, facility type, service level and location,” said Tim Morse, senior vice president, CNA HealthPro. “CNA has a long history of working with long term care organizations and we take seriously our responsibility to inform clients of such emerging issues and offer risk management strategies to help minimize these challenges.” The fifth in a series, this study examines trends in the litigation environment, the impact of organizational culture on quality, safety and risk, and trends in professional liability claims from January 1, 2001 through December 31, 2006 for CNA HealthPro clients. Highlights of the claims analysis indicate that: * The average cost of claims (severity) is increasing year by year. * Assisted living facilities have the highest average severity of claims. * Length of time between incident and claim closure appears to affect indemnity payments in the not-for-profit segment more than in the for-profit segment. * The most frequent allegation is resident falls. * The risk of elopement continues throughout a resident’s stay. Areas analyzed in the study include frequency and severity by not-for-profit and for profit business segments, year the event was reported, level of resident care provided at the facility, length of time to closure of the claim, allegations and injuries. The study database includes de-identified information from 1,916 open and closed claims brought against long term care organizations that were insured by CNA HealthPro. Using the trends in litigation and the information extracted from the CNA HealthPro claims, CNA developed risk management recommendations to aid long term care organizations in minimizing risk across the enterprise. These recommendations include strategies for incorporating quality improvement, risk management and patient safety principles into resident services. Copies of this study are available from CNA by calling 888-600-4776 or accessing the CNA Web site at www.cna.com. CNA is the country’s seventh largest commercial insurance writer and the 13th largest property and casualty company. CNA’s insurance products include standard commercial lines, specialty lines, surety, marine and other property and casualty coverages. CNA's services include risk management, information services, underwriting, risk control and claims administration. For more information, please visit CNA at www.cna.com. CNA is a registered service mark, trade name and domain name of CNA Financial Corporation.