What CareMed does

CareMed International Travel Insurance, operating under the legal entity Cultural Insurance Services International, Inc. (CISI), is a specialized insurance program administrator founded in 1989 and headquartered at 1 High Ridge Park, Stamford, CT. The company provides travel health and accident insurance for international exchange program participants — primarily J-1 visa holders including students, au pairs, and trainees — through four tiered plans (Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum) priced from $1.00 to $1.50 per day with benefit limits ranging from $50,000 to unlimited coverage per accident or sickness. Optional add-ons include Accidental Death & Dismemberment, Family Reunion & Trip Interruption, Travel Luggage, and Travel Third Party Liability. Operations are run with 11-50 employees, with all claims handled in-house by Connecticut-based staff and 24/7 multilingual worldwide emergency assistance delivered through the CareMed Assist sub-brand, in coordination with AXA Assistance.

CareMed's technology stack centers on a fully automated in-house claim payment system, intelligent telephone call routing to available Benefit Analysts, and the myCareMed/myCISI self-service portal used by both individual participants and sponsor contacts to enroll, view policy information, and manage claims. The company integrates with First Health Network for U.S. provider access and operates U.S. provider search capabilities linked to Aetna. CareMed is HIPAA-compliant under documented Notice of Privacy Practices, with a Privacy Officer overseeing Protected Health Information handling. Policies are underwritten by A-rated U.S. carriers, principally Chubb and Arch Insurance Company, with claims-paying operations supported by Zelis Healthcare, Change Healthcare Solutions, and the MPhasis Eldorado claim management system. AXA Assistance and Assist America provide emergency assistance layer.

The business model is recurring insurance premiums sold sales-led to exchange-program sponsors and organizations (B2B group plans) and through a separate International Sales Office for individual travelers (B2C). Distribution is anchored by long-standing corporate-partner relationships with major J-1 visa issuing organizations and membership in industry bodies including CSIET, IAPA, WYSE Travel Confederation, and WYSE Work Abroad, which provide referral flow and brand credibility. There are no funding rounds, no M&A activity, no disclosed revenue, and no public-market signals in the source data; the company remains privately held and operationally stable with no recent leadership or structural transitions of note.

Name

CareMed

Legal name

Cultural Insurance Services International, Inc.

Website

https://caremedus.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1989

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

CareMed provides specialized travel health and accident insurance for J-1 visa exchange program participants worldwide, offering four tiered plans from $1.00 to $1.50 per day, with 24/7 multilingual emergency assistance and in-house claims handling in Stamford, CT.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Stamford

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Group Insurance Premiums: CareMed generates revenue through insurance premiums charged to exchange program sponsors for their participants. Plans are offered at four levels (Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum) with daily rates starting from $1.00/day. Sponsors can pay with flexible payment methods and access dedicated Benefit Analysts for invoicing and account management.
2. Individual Insurance Premiums: Individual coverage is available through a separate International Sales Office for persons not affiliated with a group sponsor. This provides another revenue stream for individual travelers.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

CareMed sells international travel insurance for cultural and educational exchange program participants — students, au pairs, and trainees traveling abroad on J-1 and similar visas. Coverage is structured across four tiered plan levels (Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum) priced per day with limits ranging from $50,000 to unlimited, including medical benefits, emergency evacuation, and repatriation. Policies are underwritten by U.S.-domiciled A-rated carriers, claims are handled in-house in Connecticut, and 24/7 worldwide emergency assistance is delivered through CareMed Assist.

Product overview

CareMed International Travel Insurance is a specialized travel insurance provider for exchange program participants (students, au pairs, trainees). The core offering consists of four tiered insurance plans (Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum) ranging from $1.00 to $1.50 per day, with increasing benefit limits from $50,000 to unlimited coverage. These plans are offered as group insurance plans for organizations and include optional add-ons such as Accidental Death & Dismemberment, Family Reunion & Trip Interruption, Travel Luggage, and Travel Third Party Liability. The product suite is supported by CareMed Assist (24/7 emergency assistance via AXA Assistance) and the myCareMed online portal for participants and sponsors to manage claims and coverage.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• CareMed Assist: 24-hour emergency medical assistance service providing multilingual help and advice for insured participants during emergencies during the policy term.

Products and services

• Bronze Level Plan

Quantifiable outcome

• Direct billing to medical providers eliminates out-of-pocket expenses for most covered treatments
• +1 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration8 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• International Au Pair Association (IAPA)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCareMed is partnered with IAPA, an organization representing au pair agencies and exchange organizations. The partnership provides mutual referrals and credibility for au pair insurance coverage.
• WYSE Travel ConfederationcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCareMed is a corporate partner of WYSE Travel Confederation, a leading global youth travel organization. This partnership positions CareMed as a preferred insurance provider for WYSE member organizations.
• WYSE Work AbroadcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCareMed maintains a partnership with WYSE Work Abroad, which focuses on work abroad programs. This provides access to organizations offering work abroad opportunities and their insurance needs.
• Council on Standards for International Educational Travel (CSIET)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCareMed is a member of CSIET, which sets standards for international educational travel exchange programs. Membership demonstrates commitment to industry standards and provides networking opportunities.
• ChubbcoreTechnology or IntegrationChubb is a policy underwriter for CareMed/CISI policies. Located at 436 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19106. They execute functions such as claim approvals and policy renewals.
• Arch Insurance CompanycoreTechnology or IntegrationArch Insurance Company is a policy underwriter for CareMed/CISI policies. Located at Harborside 3, 210 Hudson Street, Suite 300, Jersey City, NJ 07311.
• AXA AssistancecoreTechnology or IntegrationAXA Assistance provides assistance services to CareMed participants. Located at 122 S Michigan Ave, #1100, Chicago, IL 60603. They provide services related to participant health and safety.
• Assist AmericacoreTechnology or IntegrationAssist America provides emergency assistance services to CareMed participants. Located at 202 Carnegie Ctr, #302, Princeton, NJ 08540. They provide services related to participant health and safety.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Emerging players

• International SOS: International SOS is a major medical and travel assistance provider with overlapping 24/7 multilingual support, evacuation, and crisis services. While broader in scope (corporate travel risk), it competes for institutional buyer attention alongside CareMed Assist.
• SafetyWing: SafetyWing is a digital-first nomad insurance provider offering low-friction, monthly subscription travel medical plans that increasingly overlap with CareMed's younger exchange and work-abroad demographics through a more modern product experience.

Direct peers

• International Medical Group (IMG): IMG is the most direct competitor to CareMed, offering Patriot Travel Medical and Student Health Advantage plans targeted at international students, exchange participants, and visa-holders. Both compete for the same J-1/F-1 travel medical insurance buyer with similar tiered plan designs and daily-rate pricing.
• World Nomads: World Nomads is a leading travel insurance provider popular with younger international travelers on study, work, and exchange programs. While more consumer-brand oriented, it competes for the same participant pool and exchange-program channel.
• GeoBlue (HTH Worldwide): GeoBlue offers Navigator and Voyager plans for international students and exchange participants, with similar evacuation and direct-billing benefits. It is commonly cited as a CareMed alternative by international student offices.
• ISO Student Health Insurance: ISO specializes in international student and scholar health insurance, including J-1 compliant plans. It mirrors CareMed's positioning around study-abroad participants, dependents, and visiting scholars with comparable daily-rate tiered products.
• Seven Corners: Seven Corners offers Liaison Travel Medical, Travel Insurance Choice, and student-focused products used by exchange and study-abroad programs. It directly overlaps CareMed in emergency medical, evacuation, and repatriation coverage for short-term international travelers.
• Trawick International: Trawick sells Safe Travels USA, Safe Travels International, and visitor/exchange-oriented plans competing head-to-head for the same au pair, exchange, and visiting-traveler segments that CareMed serves.
• Tokio Marine HCC (WorldTrips): Tokio Marine HCC's WorldTrips division sells StudentSecure and similar international student/exchange plans, directly competing in the same J-1, F-1, and study-abroad category as CareMed.

Broad incumbents

• AIG Travel: AIG Travel offers broad travel insurance plans (Travel Guard) and is sometimes selected by larger sponsors seeking a single global carrier. While not as exchange-program specialized as CareMed, AIG's size and brand recognition pressure CareMed on enterprise deals.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about CareMed