Certificates of insurance and additional insureds: Navigating the maze

Do you often cringe when you open an email and see a certificate request from one of your commercial clients? There are few things that cause more problems for insurance agents than requests for certificates of insurance.  The requests and requirements seem to get more complex by the day. How do we respond to these? What can and can’t be included on a certificate?  

Issuing COIs

Even though it’s taxing, it’s crucial to understand the ins and outs of COIs. When issuing them, there are a few important things to consider, including:

• best practices for issuing certificates;
• what to enter into various fields and what language should be used; and
• how state laws for COIs affect the issuance of certificates.

Additional insureds

When the certificate request includes a requirement for additional insured coverage, things get even more interesting. What is the difference between a 10/01 edition and a 04/13 edition, and why is someone insisting on the older form? Why might a CG 20 38 be better for your client than a CG 20 33? What should we look for in company-specific additional insured endorsements?

And, what about all the other language certificate holders demand? What does primary and noncontributory mean, and why do they want it? What about waivers of subrogation? Who exactly gets notified if the policy is canceled?

Learn more about COIs

You can learn more about COIs and additional insureds when you attend Certificates of Insurance and Additional Insureds: Navigating the Maze, taught by Cathy Trischan, CPCU, CIC, CRM, AU, AAI, CRIS, ARM, MLIS, TRIP, on Wednesday, Sept. 22, 2021, from 9 a.m.-noon. This class has been approved for three continuing-education credits.

For more information, or to register for this class, log on to the PIA Northeast education schedule.