Built to Last: Dr. Sosey’s Enduring Partnership with MICA
When Dr. Walter Sosey began practicing medicine, being a physician meant doing a bit of everything. He delivered babies, performed surgeries, covered the ER, and cared for whoever walked through the door. Over time, he focused his work on internal medicine, but his hands-on, community-centered approach never changed.
In 1973, Dr. Sosey relocated to Arizona, bringing with him the same dedication to patient care that had defined his early years. Shortly after, Arizona physicians faced a growing malpractice insurance crisis as premiums climbed and coverage options disappeared. In 1975, the state’s primary carrier, Travelers, announced it would stop writing medical professional liability policies effective March 31, 1976, leaving thousands of doctors without coverage.
Founding a physician-led insurer
By 1976, Arizona physicians had taken the crisis into their own hands. Working alongside the Arizona Medical Association and state leaders, they created a new model for professional liability protection: an insurer founded, governed, and owned by physicians themselves - MICA.
In those early years, MICA’s purpose was simple but essential: to ensure Arizona physicians could continue practicing without fear of losing coverage or reputation. Dr. Sosey joined soon after its founding, finding both security and alignment in its mission.
“MICA made me feel protected,” he recalled. “They understood what physicians were dealing with.”
Built on trust, strengthened by partnership
As the years went on and other malpractice carriers returned to Arizona, Dr. Sosey stayed with MICA. What kept him was simple: trust. From the beginning, MICA’s physician-led structure gave him confidence that the company understood what mattered to doctors, not just coverage, but partnership.
Every time MICA stood by its physicians, that trust was reinforced. One major differentiator was MICA’s consent-to-settle clause, which gave doctors a voice in their own defense, ensuring they could protect their reputation as well as their practice.
“That clause is huge,” Dr. Sosey said. “If MICA wanted to settle, I could say no, and they would stand by me.”
Just as meaningful, he said, were the people behind the company. MICA’s leadership, staff, and defense team earned his respect by pairing expertise with empathy.
“They’ve always had a strong team,” he said. “They really work with you.”
He spoke fondly of the leaders he’s known over the years, including long-serving figures like Dr. Carland and current President & CEO Edward Marley. MICA, he said, has never felt like a distant insurer. It feels like an ally.
Over the decades, he’s also seen MICA’s commitment to education and prevention grow. What began as mailed newsletters and printed risk-management materials evolved into office visits, in-person consultations, and eventually a robust library of online courses.
He believes that kind of proactive partnership is what distinguishes MICA.
“The average physician today might not even realize how important it is to have that kind of relationship,” he said. “But when you need it, you understand immediately.”
Fifty years later, the partnership endures
49 years after joining MICA, Dr. Sosey remains insured with the company that has stood beside him for most of his career. His story and MICA’s history run in parallel, both grounded in dedication, trust, and a lifelong commitment to the wellbeing of others.
As MICA marks its 50th anniversary, that connection feels especially meaningful. What began as a physician-led solution to a state-wide crisis has grown into a trusted partner for healthcare professionals across the region. And for Dr. Sosey, that partnership has defined his professional life. He was among MICA’s earliest insureds, and nearly 50 years later, he remains one of its longest.
“I’ve been very lucky and very grateful to have been with MICA all these years,” he said. “It’s an amazing company, strong, respected, and led by people who truly care.”