POLISH REGULATORY POLICY AIMED AT COUNTERACTING ALCOHOLISM AS AN ELEMENT OF ENSURING SAFETY IN TOURISM – THE CASE OF TRAVEL INSURANCE

Purpose. The aim of the article is to assess whether the current legal framework on travel insurance contracts allows the regulations in question to be included in the legal instruments that both ensure safety in tourism and constitute an element of the regulatory policy aimed art counteracting alcoholism and the negative effects of alcohol consumption. Method. The main method used in the submitted article is the legal dogmatic method, which, however, is not used in the strict sense. Additionally, analysis of the normative text is supplemented with the author's independent reference to judicial decisions and legal doctrine. Findings. Analysis of legal regulations and judicial decisions allows to indicate that the structure of travel insurance makes it an element of the regulatory policy aimed at counteracting alcoholism. Accidents can often be classified as insurance events within the meaning of various types of insurance contracts, including travel insurance. Therefore, the structure of these agreements cannot assume the form of a specific sanction for alcohol consumption. However, to ensure the fullest possible safety in tourism, insurance events of this type should not be excluded from the liability of insurers without deeper reflection on the purpose of this kind of protection, also within the context of the policy aimed at counteracting addictions and their effects on health and life. Research and conclusions limitations. The legal analysis is focused on the Polish legal regulation of the issue. Practical implications. The conducted research may be an indication for the creation of mandatory regulations regarding travel insurance contracts, as well as the content of the contracts themselves and general insurance conditions. Originality. Research on regulatory policy that is rarely of interest to legal scientists. Type of paper. In the article, theoretical concepts are presented. This text is an overview in nature.

Certain issues of legal regulation of animal insurance as a compulsory form of insurance

Agricultural insurance is a prerequisite for the existence of agriculture, especially for agricultural countries. The present time poses serious climatic, economic, and biological challenges to agricultural production. Insurance should become a tool that will help to balance the risks between all participants in agricultural insurance relations. Insurance should reduce the negative impact on agricultural production and living standards in the country. In the article on the basis of analysis of normative-legal acts, regulating the procedure of agricultural animals insurance the problematic issues are investigated and the ways of elimination of collisions in legal regulation of this type of insurance are offered. The problems of determining the list of animals subject to compulsory insurance are investigated and solutions are proposed. The question of legal expansion of the range of insurance risks for insurance contracts of animals in the framework of the Law of Ukraine «On peculiarities of insurance of agricultural products with state support» is analyzed. The proposed additions to the regulatory and legal acts in the field of insurance of breeding animals will lead to the harmonization of relevant legislation, as well as improve awareness of breeding animals for regulatory authorities, consumers of relevant products and insurers. Keywords: insurance, compulsory animal insurance, breeding animal insurance, insurance risk, insurance of agricultural products with state support

REGULISANjE POSLOVA POSREDOVANjA U OSIGURANjU

In modern practice, concluding insurance contracts is mostly done through insurance brokers-intermediaries. Today, the term insurance insurance brokerage, in a broader sense, means the activity of insurance mediation, which is professionally performed by legal and natural persons who are called insurance brokers. The subject of the research also consists in the answer to the disputable questions regarding the insurance brokerage in order to put a light on significant segments of the reasons for surrender, as well as to propose their further improvements. In the following text, having in mind the complexity of the topic, and the limited scope of work, a review will be made of the main specifics in both domestic and comparative law.

Empirical approach to risk management strategies of Mediterranean mussel farmers in Greece

Risk perception and risk responses of Greek mussel farmers are important for understanding their risk behavior and the likely success of different risk mitigation strategies. This allows policy makers and actuarial companies to decide what risk management products to offer to address specific types of risks. Results from an empirical survey showed that ex-farm prices and health/disability status of farmers are perceived as the most important sources of risk. Risk management decisions were strongly influenced by the attitudes of mussel farmers rather than their socioeconomic status or perception of risk sources. Financial reserves and an alternative source of stable income are both preferred by mussel farmers as risk management strategies, while optimizing farm management to produce at the lowest possible cost is commonly practiced to eliminate losses. Farmers recommend that for certain types of risks that lead to total losses, e.g. anoxia, tsunamis, harmful algal blooms (HABs), insurance contracts should be provided by the public sector, as in similar situations in agriculture. For other needs, customized insurance contracts should be provided by the actuarial market.

Equilibrium in Competitive Insurance Markets with Medical Tourism

In recent years, the rising healthcare costs in the United States have led many citizens to travel outside the country for medical care. Although such practice, commonly known as ‘medical tourism’, has become more and more popular, many insurance companies hesitate to incorporate a medical tourism option into insurance contracts. In this article, we wish to understand the theoretical rationale of that by designing an insurance contract in an environment where medical tourism is available. One crucial characteristic that influences consumers’ decision on whether to choose medical tourism is their tolerance levels associated with unexpected costs when travelling abroad for healthcare. In this article, we wish to investigate how the individuals with preference heterogeneity would self-select between the options of domestic treatment and treatment abroad offered in the contract. The results suggest that when the healthcare costs from both the treatment abroad and the domestic treatment are high and/or there is a higher chance of needing an elective treatment for the individual, insurance companies will more likely incorporate medical tourism in the contract. JEL Classification: C73, I13, D82, D86

Secured Insurance Framework Using Blockchain and Smart Contract

Traditional insurance policy settlement is a manual process that is never hassle-free. There are many issues, such as hidden conditions from the insurer or fraud claims by the insured, making the settlement process rough. This process also consumes a significant amount of time that makes the process very inefficient. This whole scenario can be disrupted by the implementation of blockchain and smart contracts in insurance. Blockchain and innovative contract technology can provide immutable data storage, security, transparency, authenticity, and security while any transaction process is triggered. With the implementation of blockchain, the whole insurance process, from authentication to claim settlement, can be done with more transparency and security. A blockchain is a virtual chain of data blocks that is a decentralized technology. Any transaction or change in the blocks is done after the decentralized validator entity, not a single person. The smart contract is a unique facility stored on the blockchain that gets executed when the predetermined conditions are met. This paper presents a framework where smart contracts are used for insurance contracts and stored on blockchain. In the case of a claim, if all the predetermined conditions are met, the transaction happens; otherwise, it is discarded. The conditions are immutable. That means there is scope for alteration from either side. This blockchain and intelligent contract-based framework are hosted on a private Ethereum network. The Solidity programming language is used to create smart contracts. The framework uses the Proof of Authority (PoA) consensus algorithm to validate the transactions. In the case of any faulty transaction request, the consensus algorithm acts according to and cancels the claim. With blockchain and smart contract implementation, this framework can solve all the trust and security issues that rely on a standard insurance policy.

Claims Made Insurance Policies in New Zealand and Australia: Should New Zealand Enact a Statutory Deeming Regime?

<p>A claims made policy protects an insured person or business in relation to claims made against that person or business during the policy period, regardless of when the cause of loss occurred, and regardless of when the claim is notified to the insurer (subject always to the terms of cover and the relevant law). The trigger event for a claim against the insurer is the receipt of the claim or demand by the insured. However, issues can arise when the insured has knowledge of circumstances that may lead to a claim, but the claim itself is delayed, a situation sometimes addressed by way of a contractual 'notice of circumstances' provision coupled with a deeming provision. The proposition in this dissertation is that New Zealand should have a statutory deeming regime affecting claims made insurance policies, similar to that contained within section 40 of Australia’s Insurance Contracts Act 1984 (Cth). However, to properly consider that proposition, it is necessary to review the context within which section 40 arose, its practical effect in that context, and the perceived issues that might be addressed in New Zealand by way of a statutory deeming regime. In particular, it is necessary to acknowledge the juxtaposition of sections 40 and 54 of the Insurance Contracts Act (Cth), and the implications of section 9 of New Zealand's Insurance Law Reform Act 1977.</p>