NEMT insurance companies: who writes wheelchair and stretcher fleets, and how each one is reached

A handful of insurers and programs publish their own NEMT or wheelchair-van pages, and they do not all sell the same way. Progressive Commercial quotes you directly. RLI, Prime and a program from Amwins work through producers and wholesalers, and National Interstate works through brokers. This guide lays out who can ask each one for a quote and what each asks of a newer fleet. For the order of the buying steps, see how to get NEMT insurance, and for what a premium depends on, see NEMT insurance cost.

A premium comes only from a quote, and each program changes its states and appetite over time, so confirm both before you apply.

Which insurers write NEMT, and how do you reach each one?

Five names have their own NEMT or paratransit pages, and the way in differs for each. The grid shows who can ask for a quote and where the program writes.

Two of these brands use more than one legal company. RLI’s surplus lines paper is Mt. Hawley Insurance Company, and its admitted paper in Florida and Illinois is RLI Insurance Company. Prime’s surplus lines company is Prime Insurance Company, and its admitted company, Prime Property & Casualty Insurance Inc., offers commercial auto in Florida, Illinois, Kansas, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico and South Carolina. Prime says it offers no commercial auto in New York.

What does each one ask of a new or hard-to-place company?

A start-up fits some of these programs and not others: RLI and Prime say they consider new ventures, the Draco program asks for three years in business and five units, and Progressive discounts for three or more years.

• RLI. It lists new ventures, limited industry experience, a recent cancellation or nonrenewal, and claim problems among the risks it places. The minimum premium is $50,000. It will not write vehicles seating 15 or more including the driver, accounts with large seasonal exposure, or a mid-term submission that is only shopping for a lower premium. With large subcontractor exposure it offers no hired auto coverage when no federal filing is required, and no terms at all when one is. The submission list is in the how to get NEMT insurance guide.
• Prime. It says new businesses, new drivers and drivers with 20 or more years are eligible, and that it can help a company that was canceled or denied before. It sets no minimum premium requirement for producers, and it will not bind until it has all required information and the premium. Rating factors include vehicle age and type, seating capacity, driver age, location, radius, and driving and claims history.
• Draco program (Amwins). It asks for three years in business and at least five units, offers auto liability with a $1 million limit, and does not write emergency response ambulances. Applicants send the industry application, a paratransit supplemental application, motor vehicle records and at least three years of loss runs. General and professional liability come through a different carrier.
• Progressive. It gives discounts for three or more years in business, prior livery experience and an active business owner’s policy or general liability policy, and 10 percent or more for paying in full in some states. Younger or less experienced drivers can affect eligibility or price, and lightbars, sirens or life support equipment are usually excluded. A van with a wheelchair lift or ramp may bring specific safety-equipment and written-procedure guidelines.
• National Interstate. It writes auto liability, physical damage, general liability and property for NEMT and paratransit fleets of all sizes, on first-dollar or deductible programs. Mobility, a group rental captive launched in 2022, is for operators with strong safety cultures and is managed and underwritten by National Interstate.

A fleet that was just nonrenewed should read what to do after a nonrenewal first.

Admitted or surplus lines: does it matter?

It matters when a contract or a claim depends on it. An admitted insurer is licensed in your state. A surplus lines insurer is not, which is why states keep lists of the ones they allow. Prime’s own footer describes the company as an unlicensed excess and surplus lines insurer.

Two consequences follow:

• No guaranty fund. Surplus lines insurers sit outside the state guaranty association. The Surplus Lines Stamping Office of Texas, for one, says they are not members of the Texas property and casualty guaranty association, and the Texas Department of Insurance does not approve the insurers on its list or check their finances, except those domiciled in Texas.
• Contract wording. Some brokers set conditions on the insurer itself. American Logistics, for example, asks for an insurer rated B or better, a policy with no livery exclusion, and a policy that names “Any Auto” or “Owned Auto”, “Hired Auto Only” and “Non-owned Autos Only”. It does not accept scheduled auto policies. The how to get NEMT insurance guide shows other contracts that require a licensed insurer.

How do you check an insurer before you quote?

Check the legal company, the license or eligibility, and the rating, in that order.

1. Get the exact legal name. The quote and the certificate should name the company that issues the policy, not the brand. RLI and Mt. Hawley, or Prime Insurance Company and Prime Property & Casualty Insurance Inc., are the same brand on different paper.
2. Confirm the license. The NAIC’s Company Search lists companies that match a name and warns that an insurer can have several subsidiaries under different names. Check your policy for the exact name, then confirm on your state insurance department’s site that the company is licensed there.
3. For surplus lines, open the state’s eligible list. Texas publishes one through the Surplus Lines Stamping Office of Texas and the Texas Department of Insurance. Each row shows an eligibility date, the NAIC number, an AM Best rating and the insurer’s origin.
4. Read the rating at AM Best on the day you buy. Ratings change, so a badge on an insurer’s site or an older state list can be out of date. The AM Best rating entry explains the letters and the size numerals.
5. Match it to the contract. Put the legal name, the rating and the paper (admitted or surplus lines) beside each broker’s insurance clause before you bind. The certificate of insurance you send should carry the same company name.

Keeping policy dates in HealthRide

HealthRide keeps vehicle insurance in the same registry as licenses, registrations and certifications, with an expiration date for each, and sends reminders ahead of the date. Anything expired is flagged when a trip is assigned, so a lapsed policy does not slip into a schedule. See fleet and credentials.