US Travel Insurance Association (UStiA) Background
Year Founded: April, 2004
What is UStiA? UStiA is a non-profit, national association of companies involved in the development, sales, marketing or implementation of travel insurance and related products or U.S. travel insurance carriers, third-party administrators and allied businesses involved in the development, administration and marketing of travel insurance and assistance products.
UStiA consumer information on travel safety, security, and health: trip.ustia.org
UStiA's Mission
Ensure that travelers have affordable access to travel protection and travel assistance;
Educate consumers about travel insurance and related issues;
Promote fairness, integrity and a commitment to excellence in the travel insurance industry;
Foster ethical and professional standards of industry conduct;
Cultivate effective government relations on behalf of the travel insurance industry;
Inform and assist members with matters pertaining to the industry.
UStiA's Goals
Create uniform and fair regulations for the industry;
Develop consistent licensing standards for agents who market travel insurance and assistance services;
Combat insurance fraud and unjust class action lawsuits that adversely impact the cost of travel insurance for consumers;
Serve as an advocate for the travel insurance industry.
UStiA Membership Standards
Members must adhere to the following requirements:
Ethical Conduct
Provide travel insurance products and services that represent value and high quality;
Pay all valid claims fairly, promptly, accurately and courteously;
Respect the privacy of individuals by using personal information only for the purposes authorized;
Engage in fair, professional and ethical competition;
Make no misrepresentations, false or malicious statements about the products, services, staff, financial condition or business practices of other Members;
Uphold the reputation of the Association, its Members and the travel insurance industry.
Truth in Advertising
Present their products, benefits, conditions, exclusions and prices clearly and accurately.
Not issue statements or advertisements which make false, misleading or exaggerated claims.
Ensure that its advertisements, sales materials and presentations, and public announcements are honest, factually accurate and not misleading.
UStiA Officers
President:Susan Silfen, Crum & Forster
Treasurer: Joe Muccia, Crum & Foster
Secretary: Brandon Bates, AirMed
Past President: Beth Godlin, Aon Affinity Travel Practice
UStiA Members Total Sales Volume: According to the 2016-2018 Travel Protection Market Survey, conducted for the US Travel Insurance Association (UStiA), Americans spent more than $3.8 billion on all types of travel protection in 2018.*
Total Travelers Served Annually: Approximately 65.8 million travelers were covered by a travel protection plan purchased from a UStiA member company in 2018.*
Total UStiA Membership: 70 members
Membership Categories: Full Members: 27 Full Member Subsidiaries: 5 Associate Members: 26 Distributor Members: 5 Subscriber Members: 7
Membership Category Information:
Full Member: Insurance carriers, reinsurance carriers, captive insurance entities, third-party administrators (TPA) that have claims-paying authority on behalf of an insurance carrier, and managing general agents (MGA) and managing general underwriters (MGU) that have binding authority for an insurance carrier and that underwrite, distribute, and administer travel insurance programs.
Full Member Subsidiary: A UStiA Full Member company with a parent company that is also a full dues paying member.
Associate Member: Travel assistance companies, air ambulance companies, common carriers, companies and individuals that provide professional services (including legal, accounting, actuarial, medical and cost-containment services) to the travel industry, hospitals, healthcare facilities, PPOs, healthcare providers, nonprofit associations related to the travel or travel insurance industries, and travel insurance aggregators that provide quotes for three or more travel insurance carriers.
Distributor: Retail travel agencies and retail travel agents, tour operators and insurance producers who distribute retail travel insurance plans, but who do not act as a TPA, MGA, MGU or Insurance Aggregator as described for Associate Members.
Subscriber: Travel media, software companies, and those individuals who have expressed an interest in the travel insurance industry and do not otherwise qualify as a Member, Associate Member or Distributor.
*The Travel Insurance Market Survey 2016 - 2018, conducted for the UStiA.
