Exhibit 99.1

ProAssurance and OHIC Insurance Company Announce Five-State Renewal Rights
Transaction

     BIRMINGHAM, Ala. & COLUMBUS, Ohio--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 4,
2004--ProAssurance Corporation (NYSE:PRA) and OHIC Insurance Company announced
today that ProAssurance will purchase the renewal rights to all of OHIC's
physician, hospital and healthcare facility business in Indiana, Illinois,
Kansas, Kentucky and Wisconsin. OHIC's policyholders in Ohio are not affected by
the transaction and will benefit from OHIC's renewed focus on its home state.
     Under terms of the transaction ProAssurance will have the right to offer
renewal to OHIC's non-Ohio physician, hospital and healthcare facility clients
whose policies expire on or after May 1, 2004. ProAssurance will work with OHIC
agents, many of whom are already appointed by ProAssurance. The renewals will be
strictly underwritten using ProAssurance guidelines and rates; only claims-made
coverage will be offered. ProAssurance is not assuming any prior liability for
policies written by OHIC.
     As of March 1, 2004, this business represented approximately $17 million of
in-force premium to OHIC. ProAssurance cannot say with any certainty how much of
this premium it will successfully renew.
     "We are delighted to be able to offer our financial strength and defense
expertise to more than 800 physicians and almost 100 hospitals," said
ProAssurance Chairman, A. Derrill Crowe, M.D. Dr. Crowe stressed the
transaction's importance to ProAssurance's careful growth strategy. He said,
"This transaction allows us to establish a meaningful presence in Kansas and
Wisconsin, states we've identified as key expansion states contiguous to our
existing business footprint. We also have the opportunity to strengthen our book
of business in Indiana, Illinois and Kentucky."
     OHIC Insurance Company President and Chief Executive Officer, Raymond R.
Mazzotta said OHIC is returning to its roots as an Ohio-founded company. He
said, "Since our founding in 1978 we've been a leader in the Ohio medical
liability insurance market and this transaction will allow us to concentrate on
the market we know best." Mazzotta said the transaction builds on the progress
made by OHIC in 2003. He said, "Our policyholders in Ohio will clearly benefit
from the increased financial strength we'll be able to devote to Ohio."

     About ProAssurance Corporation

     ProAssurance Corporation is a specialty insurer with almost $2.9 billion in
assets and more than $740 million in gross written premiums. As the nation's
fourth largest writer of medical professional liability insurance,
ProAssurance's principal professional liability subsidiaries, The Medical
Assurance Company, Inc., ProNational Insurance Company, and Red Mountain
Casualty Insurance Company, Inc. are recognized leaders in developing solutions
which serve the needs of the evolving health care industry. ProAssurance is the
tenth largest writer of personal auto coverage in Michigan through its
subsidiary, MEEMIC Insurance Company. A.M. Best assigns a rating of "Excellent"
to ProAssurance and its principal subsidiaries; Standard & Poor's assigns the
Company's principal professional liability carriers a "Strong" rating.

     About OHIC Insurance Company

     Founded in 1978, OHIC Insurance Company was created by health care and
insurance professionals to provide professional liability insurance and services
at a time when a number of carriers fled the market. Today, OHIC is a specialty
insurance carrier and a subsidiary of the Medical Liability Mutual Insurance
Company (MLMIC). As a MLMIC subsidiary, OHIC holds a B rating from the A.M. Best
Company. OHIC's strength over the years has been its ability to provide a wide
range of custom-designed coverages, including claims-made or occurrence policy
forms, to the health care community. OHIC's twenty-six years of service have
been marked by its expertise in risk management, quality improvement and claims
administration, combined with an individualized approach to service

     Caution Regarding Forward Looking Statements

     This news release contains historical information as well as
forward-looking statements that are based upon ProAssurance's estimates and
anticipation of future events that are subject to certain risks and
uncertainties that could cause actual results to vary materially from the
expected results described in the forward-looking statements. The words
"anticipate," "believe," "estimate," "expect," "intend," "may," "preliminary,"
"project," "should," "will," and similar expressions are intended to identify
these forward-looking statements. There are numerous important factors that
could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the
forward-looking statements. Thus, sentences and phrases that convey the
Company's view of future events and trends in the medical professional liability
insurance marketplace are expressly designated as Forward Looking Statements.
The principal risk factors that may cause actual results to differ materially
from those expressed in the forward-looking statements are described in various
documents filed by ProAssurance Corporation with the Securities and Exchange
Commission, including Form 10K for the year ended December 31, 2003. In view of
the many uncertainties inherent in the forward-looking statements made in this
document, the inclusion of such information should not be taken as
representation by the Company or any other person that ProAssurance's objectives
or plans will be realized. ProAssurance expressly disclaims any obligation to
update or alter its forward looking statements whether as a result of new
information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.


    CONTACT: ProAssurance Corporation
             Frank B. O'Neil, 800-282-6242 or 205-877-4461
             foneil@ProAssurance.com
             or
             OHIC Insurance Company
             Melissa S. Denison, 800-666-6442 or 614-221-7777
             denisonms@OHIC.com