You've been introduced to Evident as the insurance verification service your client is using to help manage their business risk and you've sent in your insurance documents. That's great!
But then, you receive a follow-up email that says you're non-compliant with your client's requirements. What happened? What does this mean? What can you do?
Why am I non-compliant?
If you receive one of these notices, this means that your insurance policies don't meet the minimum requirements set by your client. In order to become compliant with their needs, you must provide a revised certificate of insurance (COI) or other supporting insurance documents (such as endorsements) that meet these requirements.
How can I understand why I'm not meeting my client's requirements?
The full list of non-compliant reasons, or, how your policies are out of compliance with your client's requirements, are included in your email. Each non-compliant reason explains what the requirement should be (such as a minimum value or specific wording).
If more than one of your policies is non-compliant, the specific reasons will be grouped together with each policy so you can determine what needs to be fixed.
How long do I have to respond to these types of messages?
It depends on your client, but most expect a response back within 30 days. You may receive reminder emails from your client about your non-compliant reasons until you've resolved them and submitted a revised COI.
How can I successfully resolve my non-compliance?
We know that getting one of these messages may be unexpected or frustrating, but it's important to pay prompt attention to them and get the issues fixed. Here are a few tips that can help you along:
- Be sure to thoroughly review your client's requirements. These may be included your agreement or contract with them. Many clients also include a link in these emails to a sample COI or page of requirements that can provide you guidance on what's needed to bring you back into compliance. Look for a link that says "insurance requirements."
- Don't simply send back the same COI in response to a non-compliant email message. If you didn't change anything, you'll continue to be non-compliant and your client will be notified that you've failed to submit compliant insurance requirements twice in a row.
- Don't send a revised COI as a reply to the email. The most effective way to process an updated COI is to use the submission link found in your email to upload your document(s). This will ensure that your compliance issues are resolved quickly and seamlessly.
- Don't ignore these messages! Your client has asked for your insurance information in order to minimize their risk and establish or continue a healthy business relationship with you, so don't simply ignore these emails. Be aware of any conditions your client may have set that require compliant insurance in order to continue doing business with them.
- Contact your client. This is the best path forward, especially if you have questions about the requirements or the necessity of your business having to meet specific parts of those requirements. As in the example above, you may encounter data entry mismatches on names that can be resolved through reaching out to your client to clarify. The non-compliant email will have your client's contact information towards the bottom. You can also simply reply to the email as well.
- Ask your broker or agent. If you work with an insurance broker or agent, ask them about any of the non-compliant reasons that aren't clear to you or how you can fix them. It's always better to have a professional review the requirements so they can help you mend the gaps and become compliant quickly and effectively.
- Ask your broker or agent. If you work with an insurance broker or agent, ask them about any of the non-compliant reasons that aren't clear to you or how you can fix them. It's always better to have a professional review the requirements so they can help you mend the gaps and become compliant quickly and effectively.
- Contact your client's partner to help you find better coverage. If your client has partnered with a certified insurance agency, they can work together with you to review the gaps in your compliance and provide a quote for more complete insurance coverage. Look for an offering in your email to see if you can take advantage of these partnerships so you can get back to work.