Chesapeake Employers' Insurance Company
Carrier website links, underwriting access points, mapped product lines, and appetite notes in one place.
This appetite summary is only a guide. Confirm eligibility, submission requirements, restrictions, and binding authority directly with the carrier or underwriter before relying on it.
Carrier appetite summary
Carrier profile & role - Nonprofit, monoline workers’ compensation carrier serving Maryland employers; functions as the state’s guaranteed market/residual market for workers’ comp and must offer coverage access to any Maryland employer that applies, regardless of size or claims history. - Provides primary workers’ compensation, employers liability, and related services (claims, loss control, premium audit) to nearly all types of Maryland businesses. Geographic appetite - Core/primary geography: State of Maryland. Chesapeake is the designated guaranteed‑market workers’ compensation insurer for Maryland employers; any Maryland employer that is required by law to carry workers’ compensation can obtain coverage either from a licensed private carrier or from Chesapeake Employers. - Multi‑state exposure: Company advertises availability of multi‑state coverage “beyond Maryland whenever you need it,” implying the ability to accommodate incidental or secondary out‑of‑state operations tied to a Maryland‑based risk (typically via endorsements or partnerships). Treat as support for Maryland‑domiciled accounts with out‑of‑state exposures, not as an open national market. Target / preferred business - Broad appetite across most industry sectors in Maryland, including small, mid‑sized, and large employers. Public information emphasizes that they serve “nearly every and any Maryland business,” positioning themselves as a generalist workers’ comp market rather than narrowly class‑focused. - Emphasis on employers who engage in safety programs, use loss‑control resources, and maintain favorable loss experience; carrier highlights: - Long‑term stability in Maryland workers’ comp market, strong claims and loss‑control infrastructure. - Safety discount programs, group programs, dividend plans, and other savings options, indicating preference for accounts willing to participate in safety initiatives and qualified dividend/group plans. - Experience‑rated accounts: Affiliated with NCCI; uses NCCI loss costs, rating methodology, experience mod, and scheduled rating. Preferred risks will typically show favorable mods, strong safety culture, and predictable loss history. Guaranteed‑market / higher‑hazard business - As Maryland’s guaranteed‑market workers’ compensation insurer, Chesapeake must accept employers who may be declined by voluntary private markets, including those with: - Adverse or challenging loss experience. - Small premium or start‑up operations. - Higher‑hazard classifications common in Maryland (construction trades, manufacturing, transportation, certain public entities, etc.). - While they must provide access to coverage, pricing, schedule rating, and dividend eligibility may vary based on risk characteristics; higher‑hazard or poor‑performing accounts may face surcharges or more limited savings/dividend options. Restricted / declined classes (operational view) - No formal public class list is published; as the guaranteed‑market carrier for Maryland WC, Chesapeake generally does not fully decline classes that are legal to insure and operating in Maryland. Practical restrictions include: - Operations not subject to Maryland jurisdiction or not properly insurable under Maryland workers’ compensation law. - Employers that fail to comply with underwriting information requirements, safety/loss‑control access, payroll and classification disclosures, or other statutory/underwriting conditions. - Classes or entities that fall outside workers’ comp (e.g., purely voluntary participants with no employment relationship) where workers’ comp coverage is not the appropriate mechanism under Maryland law. - Agents should expect tighter underwriting, higher pricing, or additional controls (e.g., loss‑control commitments) for severe‑hazard classes and those with poor experience, but actual declinations will more commonly be for eligibility, compliance, or non‑cooperation rather than class code alone. Rating & experience mods - As of policies effective on or after January 1, 2023, Chesapeake fully follows NCCI for: - Rating methodology. - Experience modification factor calculation. - Scheduled rating plan. - Loss costs. - Experience Rating Worksheets are obtained directly from NCCI by employers/agents; Chesapeake underwriters will use NCCI mods and schedules in pricing. Agents should ensure NCCI data is accurate and reconcile any discrepancies before submission or renewal negotiations. Submission & underwriting process (practical agent guidance) - Business is written through licensed agents; the public site routes prospects to “Get a Quote,” but operationally agents should: - Submit standard ACORD workers’ comp application with detailed description of operations, payroll by class, ownership/officer information, and claims history (loss runs) per usual NCCI‑state practice. - Provide NCCI experience rating information (mod worksheet) when applicable; starting with 1/1/2023 effective dates, the worksheet is obtained directly from NCCI. - Disclose any multi‑state exposures so Chesapeake can structure appropriate multi‑state coverage or coordinate with other carriers. - Cooperate with Chesapeake’s underwriting and loss‑control staff on site visits, safety program reviews, and premium audits. - Policy lifecycle is positioned as: - Quote → Bind/issue → Ongoing safety and claims management → Annual audit and renewal, with opportunities for safety discounts and dividend plans when criteria are met. Producer / broker notes - Chesapeake is the default guaranteed‑market option for Maryland employers who cannot secure coverage from other licensed carriers; agents may place difficult or residual‑type risks here when voluntary markets decline. - Because Chesapeake uses NCCI rating and experience mods, agents can approach underwriting using standard NCCI tools and expectations for classification, payroll, and mod impact. - Dividend and group programs are core competitive features; agents should: - Screen accounts for eligibility for safety discounts, group programs, and dividend plans. - Emphasize active safety management and participation in Chesapeake’s loss‑control recommendations to protect dividend eligibility and pricing. - For state‑related accounts (e.g., State of Maryland self‑insured programs administered via IWIF division), separate program contacts and procedures apply; these are largely outside standard agency placement but indicate Chesapeake’s deep integration with Maryland’s public‑sector workers’ comp framework. Operational takeaways - Use Chesapeake Employers as a go‑to workers’ comp option for Maryland‑domiciled risks of all sizes, including distressed or residual market accounts. - Assume broad class appetite but be prepared for more intensive underwriting, pricing, and safety expectations on higher‑hazard or poor‑loss risks. - Always include detailed operational descriptions, recent loss runs, and NCCI mod data in submissions; disclose multi‑state work early. - Position safety program participation, group affiliations, and dividend opportunities as key value levers when marketing Chesapeake to employers.