The Schweiker administration, Ms. Koken added, has been committed to working with healthcare providers to see that they fully understand the coverage options available to them.

"In addition, we continue to work to expedite access for any entity interested in entering the Pennsylvania medical-malpractice insurance marketplace," she said.

The two new entities are:

? The Pennsylvania Health Providers Reciprocal Exchange of Harrisburg, which will market its liability products across the state to all types of physicians and dentists. The Exchange already has 100 medical providers as subscribers.

? The United Central PA Reciprocal Risk Retention Group of Harrisburg, which is a risk retention group whose members are part of the Pinnacle Health System.

The addition of these two entities brings the total number of medical-malpractice insurers in Pennsylvania to around 70, according to Rosanne Placey, a representative for the Pennsylvania Insurance Department.

The following is a listing of recently approved entities in the state:

? Vienna, Va.-based Campmed Casualty & Indemnity Company Inc. of Maryland

? Community Health Alliance Reciprocal Risk Retention Group in Burlington, Vt.

? Community Hospital Alternative for Risk Transfer in Burlington, Vt.

? First Medical Insurance Company of Burlington, Vt.

? Fortress Insurance Company in Rosemont, Idaho.

? Boston-based Homeland Insurance Company of New York.

? Millennium Insurance Company in Newtown Square, Pa.

? National Guardian Risk Retention Group Inc. in Traverse City, Mich.

? Pennsylvania Healthcare Providers Insurance Exchange in Harrisburg, Pa.

? Physicians Specialty Ltd., a Charleston, S.C.-based risk retention group.

? Positive Mutual Risk Retention Group Inc. in Greenville, S.C.

? Professional Solutions Insurance Company in West Des Moines, Iowa.

? Birmingham, Ala.-based Red Mountain Casualty Insurance Company Inc.

? United Central PA, a reciprocal risk retention group in Harrisburg, Pa.

Gov. Schweiker, whose term expires next month, has taken several steps recently to provide relief for healthcare providers facing costly malpractice insurance in his state.

Earlier this month, for example, the governor requested that private malpractice insurers postpone the collection of Pennsylvania's Medical Care Availability and Reduction of Error fund assessment payment--which offers a catastrophic layer in malpractice coverage--from healthcare providers until April 30, 2003.

This measure is expected to provide much-needed breathing room for insureds by removing the burden of paying both primary insurance and M-care fund assessments simultaneously until governor-elect Ed Rendell's task force on malpractice reform offers its recommendations.

Furthermore, Commissioner Koken announced last month that the insurance department has approved a move by the Pennsylvania Professional Liability Joint Underwriting Association--which is the insurer of last resort and has significantly higher premiums than what the private marketplace offers--to propose a 15 percent premium discount to loss-free healthcare providers beginning next year.

Last June, Gov. Schweiker called for and signed legislation to change the state's liability law, requiring hospitals or businesses to only pay to the degree of responsibility assigned by a judge or jury. If a company is found 10 percent at fault, for instance, it would be forced to pay no more than 10 percent of the award.