Our History

Constellation / Who We Are / Our History

Our company began from a need to support our caregivers with medical professional liability (MPL) insurance products that protect them from the risks inherent in their practice. At the time, MPL companies faced unprecedented challenges, and many were dropping coverage or simply exiting the business, leaving caregivers without insurance. Insurers faced a softening market, increasing expenses, consolidation of physician-owned companies, and a level of change unheard of in the history of health care. These pressures reduced their profitability and threatened their core business.

This ultimately led to the creation of Constellation. By forming partnerships with other MPL insurance companies and adding solutions that set our insurance brands apart from the competition, we’re able to attain the stability and scale to better provide services and support critical to our policyholders.

Our solutions help customers reduce risk and support their care teams—because we believe that what’s good for care teams is good for business.

A brief look at our history

1978

All commercial “for profit” insurance providers discontinue medical liability coverage in Utah. Subsequently, approximately 800 physicians across the state form an insurance exchange to provide liability coverage sensitive to the needs of its members. This is the beginning of UMIA (Utah Medical Insurance Association).

1980

Minnesota Medical Insurance Exchange (MMIE), the precursor to MMIC (Midwest Medical Insurance Company), begins in response to the medical professional liability (MPL) insurance crisis of the mid-1970s. At that time, MPL was only available through commercial insurers. With rising premiums and shrinking availability, a concerned group of Minnesota physicians and the Minnesota Medical Association joins together to establish and fund a Minnesota-based, physician-owned MPL company—MMIE.

1988

MMIE becomes Midwest Medical Insurance Company (MMIC), and a holding company, Midwest Medical Insurance Holding Company, is created. MMIC receives its first AM Best rating, “B+.” The company is becoming a well-known and respected member of the MPL community.

1992

MMIC earns its first AM Best “A” rating.

2008

Arkansas Mutual is founded, again out of the need to support physicians as other large carriers exit the state.

2010

The holding company is renamed MMIC Group, Inc., and the insurance company is renamed MMIC Insurance, Inc. Planning begins to change the corporate structure to a mutual insurance holding company.

2011

Approval from members and the board is granted to reorganize the existing company into a mutual insurance holding company, MMIC Group, Inc.
MMIC RRG, Inc. is created.

2013

Utah Medical Insurance Association (UMIA) joins with MMIC to become a member of the Constellation mutual holding company and is renamed UMIA Insurance, Inc.

2014

MMIC RRG, Inc. changes its name to MMIC Risk Retention Group, Inc.

2015

The mutual insurance holding company, MMIC Group, Inc., is rebranded to Constellation.
Arkansas Mutual Insurance Company joins MMIC and UMIA as a member of the Constellation mutual holding company. Arkansas Mutual also receives “A” rating from AM Best.

2017

UMIA receives “A” rating from AM Best.

2020

Constellation’s team sets out to move beyond the “deny and defend” model that has driven risk management practices for decades. HEAL is launched—an industry-leading program focused on acting promptly after a patient harm event occurs, to shorten the life cycle of the event and to reduce the sequence of negative impacts it may cause.

MMIC Risk Retention Group, Inc. receives “A” rating from AM Best.

2021

MMIC Risk Retention Group, Inc., receives approval to expand membership to include senior living business.

MMIC Insurance, Inc., and its parent, Constellation, Inc., entered into a Risk Transfer Agreement with Centurion Medical Liability Protective Risk Retention Group (Centurion).

2023

Constellation acquires Michigan Professional Insurance Exchange (MPIE).