Frequently Asked Questions
What is USIP?
USIP is a property and liability risk pooling program for school districts with enrollments of less than 5,000 students. This program was designed to address the insurance needs of small to medium size school districts and provide them with a viable insurance alternative. USIP’s focus is to keep rates affordable for its members while providing excellent services to help keep losses to a minimum. This philosophy allows members to keep more of their money in the district where it can do the most good.
What is insurance pooling and what are the benefits?
Insurance pooling is an insurance option intended to transfer risks from an individual to a larger group with the basic operating principle of “strength in numbers”. This option provides more buying power in the insurance market, stable and predictable rate increases as possible, increased resources to prevent and manage losses, and a community of like-minded members who are all in for the same reasons. USIP offers these benefits and more to our members.
What is your coverage model?
USIP provides comprehensive coverage from commercial property, general liability, and wrongful acts coverage to equipment breakdown, business auto, and more. USIP carries a Self-Insured Retention (SIR) and purchases various reinsurance and excess insurance policies to cover losses that may exceed the self-insurance layer, to protect the program and its members against any catastrophic claim. In addition, USIP’s assets are protected against an abnormally high frequency of claims that may occur during a given year through an aggregate stop loss policy, selected by the Board of Directors, which helps ensure the amount paid towards claims is capped in any one year and will likely never exceed a predetermined amount.
What services do you provide?
USIP provides underwriting, pre-litigation recommendations, risk management, and claims management. In addition, USIP also provides a whole suite of Educational Services and Regional Events to members at no additional cost.
How do I join?
Please speak to your broker about membership. Any broker can access USIP to provide you a quote through our Sales and Marketing team. Additional information and applications can be found on our Coverage page.
How is USIP structured and governed?
USIP is governed by a Board of Directors, all of which are members of USIP and elected by the membership. To learn more about the current USIP board members, please visit the Board of Directors page. USIP hires a program administrator for daily operations in program management, member services, and claims administration, as well as brokerage services.
Who has voting rights?
All members select a ‘Member Designee’ to represent their organization, vote in Board of Director elections, and receive email communications from the pool regarding renewal, updates, services, and other resources.
How do I get involved?
USIP benefits from active member involvement. If you wish to learn more about serving on the Board of Directors, please contact Jenni Bates at jbates@chooseclear.com. For other ways to get involved, please consider attending our conferences, regional events, engaging with our services and partner resources, working closely with your broker, and reaching out to us to provide feedback.
Who is Clear Risk Solutions?
A Program Administrator that provides administrative, risk management, third party claims administration (TPA), and insurance brokerage services on USIP’s behalf. They have specialized in risk pooling for over 40 years and also serve several other pools in Washington for nonprofits, municipalities, and counties. They work on USIP’s behalf to secure necessary coverages, provide risk management experts for members, handle all claims and underwriting services, and work closely with the Board of Directors regarding pool initiatives, regulatory compliance, legislative matters, and more.
What states does USIP operate in?
USIP currently operates exclusively in Washington State.
Is USIP financially secure?
Yes, USIP is financially secure. Please refer to our Program Financials and Governing Documents for additional information.
How can I subscribe to your mailing list to receive regular member communications?
Per state requirements, each USIP member is required to designate a primary member contact to receive regulatory notices. However, everyone is welcome to sign up for USIP communications – simply fill out the short form via the following link to subscribe.
Broker-Specific FAQs:
How do I submit a BOR?
Please submit your BOR letter, signed by the member, to our office, endorsements@chooseclear.com, and we will process the change on our end. If the member has waived the 10-day waiting period, please have them indicate that in the letter or via email.
What supplemental applications will my client need?
Our Supplemental Applications are available on our Coverage page, that might pertain to your client. You can determine which you’ll need during the process of answering the General Application questions. Underwriting may request additional supplemental applications during the quoting process.
What is USIP’s coverage term start date?
USIP’s coverage terms are one year long, and the coverage year starts on September 1 of each year and ends August 31 of the following year.
Where do I pull loss runs for my clients?
Loss runs can be requested from our office by emailing claims@chooseclear.com. Please provide the name of the member you’re requesting for, as well as a timeline for the number of years you would like included.
How do I request an endorsement change for my client?
Please fill out the downloadable form listed on the Underwriting page and be sure to include the change requested, an effective date for the change, and any pertinent information. Our office can help you with any other information that might be needed in order to process the request. Please send endorsement change requests to endorsements@chooseclear.com.
How do I request a certificate of coverage for my client?
Please fill out the downloadable form listed on the Underwriting page, listing the name of the certificate holder, their mailing address, what the certificate is regarding and if the certificate holder requires an additional endorsements. Our office can help you with any other information that might be needed to process the request. Please send all certificate requests to certificates@chooseclear.com.