Non-Emergency Medical Insurance
Your transportation business has to be concerned with the right insurance for your fleet vehicles, driver activities, and other business assets. But we know that transporting your elderly and special needs clients means your vans and other vehicles are often outfitted with special equipment; your drivers and staff are required to communicate effectively with medical staff, transfer patients with care, and maintain standards required by licensing agencies.
Premier Choice Insurance has the experience of having provided Non-Emergency Medical Transportation business insurance for providers throughout Arizona. We represent several top rated insurance companies and can provide the high limits and special insurance your business needs, including:
Commercial Auto insurance is the most obvious need of a paratransit business. You need to have liability limits of at least $1,000,000 per occurrence, but many states require higher limits depending upon the seating capacity of vehicles. Uninsured and/or Underinsured Motorists Coverage up to your full liability limits is suggested. States will require the insurance companies to file various reports on your behalf to the department of motor vehicles as evidence of satisfactory coverage being in place. Be sure to tell your agent if any of your vehicles have special equipment on them, such as wheelchair ramps or lifts, since that makes a difference in the insured value of the vehicle.
General Liability insurance is a requirement to protect the business against a broad array of risks. We suggest a $1,000,000 limit minimum. For paratransit businesses, examples of general liability risks include hurting someone while helping them into or out of a vehicle, or into a wheelchair or stretcher. Abuse and molestation is typically excluded from general liability policies, so you will want to ensure it is added back into your coverage with at least a $100,000 sublimit. We suggest sexual abuse and molestation insurance coverage up to full policy limits.
Workers Compensation insurance is another important consideration. Requirements vary by state. This insurance protects the employee in the event of a work related injury. If a driver is injured while driving in the course of business, workers compensation insurance would pay for their health care bills and portions of lost wages, plus disability. We recently had an driving related workers compensation claim over $1,200,000. Additionally, workers comp protects the business from their employee. With few exceptions, as long as the coverage is in place, it is the only recourse for compensation available to an employee. Be sure to obtain workers compensation insurance from a qualified, highly rated insurance company.
Umbrella Liability insurance increases your liability limits of your business auto, general liability, and workers compensation insurance coverages. For example, you may require a $5,000,000 limit of insurance for general liability and business auto insurance. To do that, one solution is to have $1,000,000 limits on the underlying policies (general liability and business auto), then cover them with a $4,000,000 umbrella policy.
Property Insurance requirements for NEMT businesses are similar to other office-type businesses. You need to insure your building if you own it, or if required in your lease. Business Personal Property (contents) are a consideration for furniture and fixtures. Computer records and specialized software should be addressed. Be sure to have a plan to backup your computer records off-site and know how to restore your records in an emergency. Business Income and Extra Expense Insurance is also a consideration to help reduce the risk of lost income if your main office building suffers loss.
Contact us at Premier Choice Insurance and let us put our experience and market access to work for you.
