AMA Insurance

An agency built for physicians, not an insurer

AMA Insurance is an insurance agency, not an insurer. Its licensing page names the company as AMA Insurance Agency, Inc., "an Illinois corporation," and states that the "Agency is licensed as a resident insurance producer in Illinois," with its principal place of business at "330 N. Wabash Ave., Suite 39300, Chicago, Illinois, 60611." It adds that the Agency is "licensed as an insurance producer for life, health, property and casualty lines in all 50 states and the District of Columbia," and lists license numbers for several states, including Arkansas "Insurance Producer license #100105975," California "Insurance Producer license #0754707," Minnesota "license #7290," Oklahoma "license #100104774" and Texas "license #14081." The about page says "AMA Insurance is a subsidiary of the American Medical Association" and that it has worked for physicians "Since 1988."

As an agency, AMA Insurance places cover with other companies, and different product pages name different carriers. The products page mentions "top-tier underwriters like New York Life, Transamerica Life Insurance Company, and Liberty Mutual" for its physician lines, and says its Medicare supplement plans are "underwritten by Transamerica Life Insurance Company." Travel and international health plans come through a partner the site names on its travel and group pages: International Medical Group, or IMG.

Travel medical insurance is a small corner of a much larger physician insurance agency. The homepage organizes products around a medical career, with disability income, life, professional liability, Medicare supplement, dental and auto and home cover, and puts "Travel Insurance" and "Travel Medical Insurance" under the heading "Insurance for Medical Students."

The international health line

The International Health page describes plans "designed specifically for International Medical Students, Residents, Global Health Participants, Healthcare Professionals, Faculty and Staff while traveling outside of their home country for study or internship," and says "Plans are available for Dependents of those participating in international study programs." Its list of features: plan options "designed to meet the U.S. J1 and J2 visa travel insurance requirements," "Daily rates as low as $2.60," "Responsive medical management 24-7 hours a day, 365 days a week, anywhere in the world," access to a global provider network, "Optional riders add on to provide liability and High School and College Sports coverage," and online self-service through MyIMG. The page does not say which age or plan the $2.60 daily rate was quoted for.

Two products sit on that page. "Platinum International Health Insurance" is described as "Enhanced international health insurance that includes maternity care," with the summary "This product features a $5,000 maximum limit" and "newborn routine care during the first 31 days of life." After the deductible is met, the page says, "the company pays 60% of eligible expenses out-of-network (U.S.), 80% in-network (U.S.) and 100% internationally." The page gives no deductible amount. The second product, Short Term Travel Medical Insurance, is "Temporary medical coverage for those traveling abroad for business or pleasure," for groups and individuals.

There are two ways to buy. "Individual and Family Coverage" is "For medical students, residents, faculty, staff, and other healthcare professionals traveling solo or with family of less than 5 people." "Group Coverage" is "For traveling groups of 5 or more," covering students, global health brigades, International Medical Graduate programs and study abroad. The page carries a standard disclaimer that it "is not an offer to enter an insurance contract" and that "Benefits are subject to exclusions and limitations."

The group program and its insurer

The Group Travel Medical page, written for deans and plan administrators, says the program is "available through International Medical Group®, Inc. (IMG®)," for business, pleasure, medical brigades or study abroad. It lists "Responsive medical management 24/7/365 for emergencies anywhere in the world," "a global network of more than 17,000 highly qualified providers," and international multilingual customer service centers.

It also carries the most important disclosure on the site for this line: "Coverage under the International Medical Insurance Program with be placed by IMG with a surplus lines insurer, meaning the insurer is not licensed in any U.S. jurisdiction." And: "Claims under the program plans are not covered by any state guaranty fund in the event of an insolvent insurer." The page does not name that surplus lines insurer.

Travel Protection, the trip insurance line

Trip insurance sits on its own Travel Protection page. It "Covers trip cancellation, travel delays and other losses incurred while traveling," for trips "up to 180 days," with "Emergency medical expense, evacuation, and reunion benefits" and "Three product options": iTravelInsured Travel Lite, Travel SE and Travel LX, offered by "Our partner, International Medical Group." The page says the plans protect both domestic and international trips, naming cruises, student travel programs and family vacations as examples. Here the carrier is named: the plans "include travel insurance coverages underwritten by United States Fire Insurance Company under form series T7000." The page adds, "The Crum & Forster group of companies is rated A (Excellent) by AM Best 2020," and that the plans "also contain non-insurance Travel Assistance Services provided by iTravelInsured." They are "Offered through iTravelInsured Insurance Services, CA, Non-Resident Producer License No. 0F17093."

The page is explicit about limits: coverage is "subject to the terms, limitations and exclusions in the plan, including an exclusion for pre-existing conditions." Cancel for Any Reason "must be added to the iTravelInsured Travel LX plan at time the base plan is purchased and within 20 days of your initial trip deposit," and "You must cancel your trip 2 days or more before your scheduled departure date." It "does not cover the failure of your travel supplier to provide the bargained-for travel arrangements due to cessation of operations for any reason."

Contact and service

The International Health page gives its own line, 888-627-6618, and an email address on a separate domain, info@medplusadvantage.com, open 8am to 5pm, Monday to Friday, Eastern time. The page points to MyIMG for online service. The pages list no age limit for the international health plans.

Who this fits

AMA Insurance fits a narrow reader: a medical student, resident, global health participant, healthcare professional or faculty member going abroad for study, an internship or teaching, with dependents on the same program, or a school arranging group cover for such people. The J1 and J2 visa framing and the student and group purchase routes are built for that academic and clinical audience. Its trip insurance line names its underwriter and rating; its international health line, by the site's own disclosure, is placed with an unnamed surplus lines insurer outside U.S. licensing and state guaranty funds.