Certificates of insurance: the proof of coverage NEMT brokers and customers ask for
A certificate of insurance (COI) is a one-page summary, usually the ACORD 25 form, that your insurance agent issues to show which liability policies you carry, their limits, and their dates. NEMT brokers and contract customers such as counties ask for one before the first trip and again at every renewal, often naming themselves as additional insured. It proves coverage exists but cannot change the policy.
On this page
What the ACORD 25 shows
The standard form is the ACORD 25, titled Certificate of Liability Insurance, and some brokers, such as LCP Transportation, ask for an ACORD certificate by name. Its first line sets the limits of what it does: “THIS CERTIFICATE IS ISSUED AS A MATTER OF INFORMATION ONLY AND CONFERS NO RIGHTS UPON THE CERTIFICATE HOLDER.”
| Box | What goes in it | What reviewers check |
|---|---|---|
| Producer and Insured | Your agent, then your company’s legal name and address | The name matches your contract |
| Insurers A to F | Each insurance company, with its NAIC number | Some brokers set a minimum rating for the insurer |
| Coverages | General liability, auto liability, umbrella or excess, workers’ compensation, with policy numbers, dates, and limits | Limits meet the contract, and no policy expires soon |
| Auto checkboxes | Any auto, owned, scheduled, hired, or non-owned autos | The auto categories the contract accepts |
| Additional insured and subrogation columns | Marked when an endorsement exists | The requester’s name is actually on the policy |
| Description of operations | Free text, with the ACORD 101 form attached for more room | Required wording, vehicles, or the contract name |
| Certificate holder and cancellation | The party receiving the certificate | Correct legal name and address |
The form also warns that limits shown may have been reduced by paid claims.
What brokers and customers ask for
Requirements vary by broker and by state, so read the contract rather than assuming. A few current examples:
| Who | What the certificate or policy must show |
|---|---|
| MTM Health, Missouri | A $2 million minimum on the general liability policy and on the auto policy, MTM Health shown as both certificate holder and additional insured on each, and workers’ compensation |
| LCP Transportation, Indiana | An ACORD certificate with LCP Transportation, LLC shown as additional insured, plus set wording in the description box about that status and 30 days’ notice of cancellation for any reason, including nonpayment |
| Louisiana Medicaid (fee-for-service broker) | A statement that the coverage is for a NEMT vehicle, a 30-day cancellation clause issued to the broker, and the Louisiana Department of Health added to both the auto and general liability policies as an additional insured. The broker also keeps a copy of the policy |
| Paratransit Services, Washington | The brokerage and the Health Care Authority as primary additional insureds, insurers rated B++, Class VII or better by AM Best, certified copies of the policies with endorsements, a list of covered vehicles, and 45 days’ notice by certified mail before cancellation or material change |
| American Logistics | At least $500,000 in combined single limit coverage, written by an insurer rated B or above, with no exclusion for livery use. Auto coverage must be marked Any Auto, or Owned plus Hired and Non-owned, and a scheduled-autos-only policy is refused |
| Buncombe County, N.C., NEMT request for proposals (November 2025) | Certificates before work starts and at each renewal, the county as additional insured on general liability, and a waiver of subrogation |
The auto boxes deserve a close look. The hired and non-owned auto entry explains what those categories cover. Limits and premiums are covered in NEMT insurance cost, and the wider set of policies in NEMT liability.
Why the certificate is not the coverage
A certificate reports the policy. It cannot add to it. Texas spells this out in Insurance Code Chapter 1811 and its insurance department FAQ:
- The additional insured box should be checked only when the policy has an endorsement naming the holder.
- A certificate may not say anything the policy does not say, and may not refer to insurance terms in another contract, such as your broker agreement.
- Notice of cancellation is a legal right only for a party named in the policy or an endorsement, where the policy or a state rule requires the notice.
So when a broker asks for additional insured status or advance notice of cancellation, ask your agent for the endorsement, then the certificate. Louisiana and Paratransit Services close the gap by asking for the policy documents as well.
Keeping certificates current
- Keep a list of every certificate holder (brokers, plans, counties, facilities) with each policy’s renewal date.
- Ask your agent for new certificates before renewal, and after any change in limits, insurers, or vehicles.
- Check each one on arrival against the contract: legal names, dates, limits, auto boxes, and required wording.
- Send it before the old one expires. CareOregon’s brokerages can stop assigning trips when proof is missing, pull trips already assigned for any period without coverage, and move toward suspension or termination. Louisiana can take back what it paid for trips run during any stretch below the required coverage.
Certificates are a standard item in broker credentialing, and the credentialing checklist lists the rest.
Tracking renewal dates
HealthRide’s fleet and credentials registry tracks each van’s insurance expiration date next to its registration. Reminders go out before a policy lapses, and an expired one is flagged when a trip is assigned.
Frequently asked questions
- Certificate holder or additional insured, what separates the two?
- The certificate holder is the party the certificate is addressed to. Being the holder gives it a copy and nothing more. An additional insured is covered by your policy itself for claims tied to your work, and that status comes from an endorsement on the policy. MTM Health in Missouri asks to be both on your general and auto liability policies, so your agent has to add the endorsement and then issue the certificate.
- Can the 30-day cancellation wording a broker wants just be typed onto the certificate?
- Not in a way that binds the insurer. Texas law gives a certificate holder a legal right to notice only when it is named in the policy or an endorsement and the policy, endorsement, or a state rule requires the notice. A Texas certificate may repeat a notice promise only when the policy already contains it. Ask your agent for the endorsement first, then the certificate wording.
- Who is allowed to fill out a certificate of insurance?
- Your insurance agent or the insurer issues it. Never edit one yourself. The ACORD 25 states that it does not amend, extend, or alter the policies it lists, and Texas requires certificates for risks in the state to be on forms its insurance department has approved. A certificate that says more than the policy can bring civil penalties of up to $1,000 for each violation there.
- Do I need a new certificate when I add a van?
- Often, yes. Louisiana has its broker get an updated copy of the policy showing a new vehicle is insured before the vehicle is used. Paratransit Services in Washington wants an inventory of all covered vehicles with the insurance documents. Send the update with the vehicle's other paperwork so the van is not held back from the schedule.
