A provider says, “We are fully insured.” Write down the sentence, but do not use it to compare providers. Ask each provider for the records behind it.
Your comparison is not which certificate looks more official. It is whether the business named on the certificate is the business in your agreement, whether the listed coverage fits the work in the house, and whether an independent source can confirm the record.
1. Ask both providers for the same documents
Use the same request on every call:
“Please send the current certificate of insurance showing your commercial general liability and workers’ compensation coverage. If you use another business to employ or supply caregivers, send the certificate for that business too.”
Write:
Provider: ____________________
Documents promised: ____________________
Person sending them: ____________________
A certificate is a starting record, not the insurer itself. ACORD, whose forms are commonly used for certificates, directs questions about coverage to the insurance company or agent identified on the form. Public source: ACORD, “Contact Us.”
Walk away from the comparison for now if the provider will only repeat “fully insured,” sends a marketing page instead of a certificate, or refuses to identify the business that employs the caregiver.
2. Match the insured name to the agreement
Find the “insured” box on each certificate. Copy the name exactly, including LLC, Inc., or any other ending.
Insured name: ____________________
Now place that name beside three other names:
Name on the service agreement: ____________________
Name that will appear on invoices: ____________________
Name the provider says employs the caregiver: ____________________
Do not silently treat similar names as interchangeable. Missouri’s insurance company search warns users to choose carefully because small differences in company names can identify different companies. Public source: Missouri Department of Commerce and Insurance, “Find an Insurance Company.”
Ask about every mismatch:
“What is the relationship between these businesses?”
“Which one is providing the caregiver?”
“Which one is the insured business?”
“Where is that relationship stated in the agreement?”
An answer to listen for names each entity and assigns it a specific role. A sign to stop is “They are all the same company” with no document connecting the names.
3. Read the coverage lines instead of the logo
On each certificate, mark whether you can find a line for commercial general liability and a line for workers’ compensation. Do not assume one line substitutes for the other.
Provider A:
Commercial general liability shown: Yes / No
Workers’ compensation shown: Yes / No
Provider B:
Commercial general liability shown: Yes / No
Workers’ compensation shown: Yes / No
If a line is missing, ask one question:
“Is this coverage absent, held under another business name, or shown on another certificate?”
Record the answer and request the referenced document. Do not fill the gap yourself.
4. Test whether the certificate fits the proposed work
Read your written shift description beside the certificate. Name the work that could change the insurance question, such as driving a family vehicle, transporting your parent, taking a caregiver’s vehicle on errands, handling house keys, or working through a subcontractor.
Work the provider is being asked to perform: ____________________
Activity that needs clarification: ____________________
Ask the producer or insurance contact shown on the certificate:
“Can you confirm whether the named insured’s policy applies to this described activity?”
“Is another policy or endorsement relevant to it?”
“Who can provide that answer in writing?”
Do not ask the salesperson to interpret an insurance contract. Ask the salesperson to identify the insurer or producer who can answer.
5. Verify workers’ compensation by the employer name
Missouri’s Division of Workers’ Compensation provides a public process for checking whether an employer has a policy or authority to self-insure. The division says its online information is a guide and recommends contacting the listed carrier to verify coverage. Public source: Missouri Department of Labor and Industrial Relations, “Are You Covered?”
Search the exact employer name the provider gave you. If the result is missing or unclear, ask the provider for the primary named insured and its federal employer identification number. The division explains that its verification process is based on the primary named insured and that the employer name and federal employer identification number are used to verify proof of coverage. Public source: Missouri Department of Labor and Industrial Relations, “Does the insurance policy that the employer purchased cover all liabilities in the state of Missouri?”
Write:
Employer name searched: ____________________
Primary named insured: ____________________
Result found: ____________________
Carrier contacted: ____________________
What the carrier confirmed: ____________________
A missing search result is a question, not a verdict. The state notes that an employer may be authorized to self-insure and that public search information may contain reporting delays or inaccuracies. Public source: Missouri Department of Labor and Industrial Relations, “Are You Covered?”
6. Compare the response process
The useful difference between providers may appear after you ask about a mismatch.
For each provider, record:
Did it send the requested certificate? Yes / No
Did the insured name match the contracting business? Yes / No / Explained
Did it identify the caregiver’s employer? Yes / No
Did it identify the insurer or producer? Yes / No
Did it answer the work-specific question in writing? Yes / No
Did independent verification match the provider’s explanation? Yes / No / Unresolved
Do not convert those entries into a score. Circle every unresolved item. The next move is to close each gap with a document or remove that provider from the comparison.
7. Know when the check is unfinished
Stop before signing when:
The insured name does not match the contracting business and no written explanation connects them.
The provider cannot name the caregiver’s employer.
The certificate omits a coverage line the provider claimed it carried.
The provider discourages you from contacting the producer, carrier, or state verification office.
The state record, certificate, and provider explanation point to different businesses.
The provider says a work activity is covered but will not identify who confirmed it.
Write the remaining question in one sentence:
“Before I compare this provider with another, I still need ____________________.”
Keep the certificate, agreement, search result, and written answers together. For the public-page trail used in this check, see the site’s Sources sheet.