Insurance terms, in plain English.

A person or entity added to your policy so their liability arising out of your operations is also defended and indemnified.

The maximum the insurer will pay for all covered claims during the policy period.

A malpractice form that covers claims first reported during the policy period, provided the incident occurred after the retroactive date.

A malpractice provision requiring the insurer to obtain your written consent before settling a claim.

Defense costs are paid in addition to — not from — the policy limits.

A written amendment that changes the coverage, exclusions or terms of your policy.

A factor applied to workers' comp premium reflecting your loss history vs. peers.

An extension of a claims-made policy that allows claims to be reported after policy expiration for incidents that occurred during the policy period.

Cyber and regulatory-defense coverage responding to HIPAA privacy and security violations.

A report from a prior insurer detailing claim history — required for most new business submissions.

Coverage on a new claims-made policy for incidents that occurred before the effective date but were unknown at issuance.

A malpractice form that covers incidents occurring during the policy period, regardless of when the claim is reported.

The earliest date of incidents covered by a claims-made policy.

A dollar amount you pay before your insurance responds — similar to a deductible but often applied to defense costs as well.