What HNOA actually covers
HNOA is liability-only coverage for the agency. If a caregiver causes an injury accident while working, the injured party's claim exceeds the caregiver's personal auto limit and the agency is named in the suit, HNOA responds on the agency's behalf. It sits excess of the driver's personal auto policy.
What it does not cover
Understanding the gaps prevents an uncovered claim:
- •Damage to the caregiver's own vehicle (their personal policy handles that)
- •The caregiver's personal liability — they still need their own auto policy
- •Vehicles titled to the agency (those need a scheduled commercial auto policy)
- •Delivery or transport-for-hire operations excluded by some forms
When you need a full commercial auto policy instead
If the agency owns or leases any vehicle — a wheelchair van, a company car, an NEMT vehicle — HNOA is not enough. You need a commercial auto policy with owned-vehicle liability and physical damage, and HNOA is then added to it for employee-owned cars.
How carriers rate it
Non-owned auto is typically rated on the number of employees who drive, and hired auto on annual cost of hire. For a small agency, HNOA often adds only a few hundred dollars a year. Underwriters will ask whether you collect and verify caregivers' personal auto declarations pages and MVRs — agencies that do usually get better terms.
Driver controls that protect the agency
Document these and keep them current:
- •MVR checks at hire and annually thereafter
- •Minimum personal auto limits required in writing (commonly 100/300/50)
- •Annual collection of caregiver auto declarations pages
- •A written policy on patient transport and distracted driving
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