ORIGINAL: rcmiket
The Sport Flyers program was your primary insurance not secondary like the AMA. I for one was sorry to see them go. Yes I'm a AMA member and yes I vote in every election. My complaint is it seems like the AMA just does not get the message that the membership is not happy with the present course of the AMA. We have a right to demand answers and question how things are done. After all it is our money. Mike
Spot on.
SFA had some internal issues not related to their battle with AMA. I never thought it was a straight-up outfit even though I bought their coverage.
I was sorry to see UMA fold up shop, because they were at least straightforward in their dealings. I had their coverage when it was available.
One thing many folks seem to forget is that both the SFA and UMA insurance wasn't all that much less than AMA membership, and the ancillary benefits were non-existent. IIRC my UMA dues were $48 at the end, and AMA was only ten bucks more for a whole lot more benefits.
Still, the SFA and UMA "competition" didn't do anything to AMA except make them pay attention. We could indeed use a competitor for AMA simply because having to compete sharpens any organization.
BTW - I never did drop AMA in favor of SFA or UMA, and I'm still a Life Member of AMA. I just wanted the other insurance 'just in case' because like a lot of modelers, I probably couldn't defend against a lawsuit if I had to and would wind up in the poorhouse.
AMA has always been 'better' than the would-be competitors, but that competition sure helped AMA sharpen it's focus.