Able

To do business in a state, an insurance company MUST be certified in that state. In CA that process takes place through the office of the Insurance Commissioner. That alone makes it illegal for the AMA to SELL insurance here, or in most states. Since I do not know the law in every state, I can not say all states. This difference is one of the concerns of activating a captive and the reason it must be a separate corporation.

This thread has turned into a legal discussion as opposed to one that discusses the fact that insurance is the engine that drives the AMA. Look upon the AMA as paying the deductible of $250,000 for it's members claims. Although technically legally not correct, the concept is correct. The Safety Code is factored into the rates the AMA pays for insurance by excluding certain actions. That is why you and I, EC and a bunch of other people keep an eye on the Safety Code.

In discussing the coverage on forums such as this, NORMALLY, it makes little difference if the AMA is VIEWED as being an insurance company. Yes, it is semantics and of little practical difference unless used in a legal debate, which is what this turned into. Legallly, things like a "site certificate" have a very different meaning than a "site policy". They are related back to the manuscript policy which jrjohn is going to explain to all.

JR