IWIF (Injured Workers Insurance Fund)
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
Brand / structure - IWIF (Injured Workers Insurance Fund) now operates as part of Chesapeake Employers’ Insurance Company, Maryland’s state‑chartered, nonprofit workers’ compensation carrier and insurer of last resort. Chesapeake is the branding and distribution platform for all standard workers’ compensation placements; IWIF functions primarily as the TPA for the State’s self‑insured workers’ comp program for state employees.([msa.maryland.gov](https://msa.maryland.gov/msa/mdmanual/25ind/html/45injf.html?utm_source=openai)) Core appetite & preferred business - Monoline workers’ compensation for Maryland employers only. Chesapeake is described as the largest writer of workers’ compensation insurance in Maryland and a competitive force open to “all Maryland businesses,” indicating a broad, standard‑market appetite across many industries.([ceiwc.com](https://www.ceiwc.com/agents?utm_source=openai)) - Operates as Maryland’s residual market / insurer of last resort while also competing for voluntary business; underwriters have wide flexibility within filed rates and internal guidelines rather than a narrowly segmented appetite.([insurancejournal.com](https://www.insurancejournal.com/news/east/2025/03/03/813940.htm?utm_source=openai)) - Strong focus on safety and loss control; underwriting is integrated with in‑house safety services and risk management, especially for larger and more hazardous accounts.([2022mdmanual.msa.maryland.gov](https://2022mdmanual.msa.maryland.gov/msa/mdmanual/25ind/priv/html/45inj.html?utm_source=openai)) - Preferred accounts: Maryland‑domiciled employers with verifiable payroll, stable operations, and manageable loss experience that will engage with Chesapeake’s safety resources. Mid‑sized and larger accounts are specifically supported by dedicated risk management and underwriting staff; small accounts are handled more transactionally but still within standard guidelines. (This is inferred from Chesapeake’s positioning as a broad‑based state writer with internal underwriting and safety units, rather than from a published class list.)([2022mdmanual.msa.maryland.gov](https://2022mdmanual.msa.maryland.gov/msa/mdmanual/25ind/priv/html/45inj.html?utm_source=openai)) Restricted / declined classes (operational expectations) - Chesapeake’s public‑facing appetite materials emphasize a broad appetite and do not publish a detailed class‑by‑class avoid/decline schedule. There is no separate IWIF appetite for private‑sector business; private business is written by Chesapeake Employers only.([ceiwc.com](https://www.ceiwc.com/agents/our-appetite?utm_source=openai)) - Expect heightened underwriting scrutiny and possible declination for: - Multi‑state exposures where Maryland is not the primary state, or where significant out‑of‑state operations require other carriers or assigned‑risk mechanisms. - Federal or specialty exposures (e.g., USL&H, maritime, FELA, significant aviation, large trucking fleets) that in Maryland are commonly written outside standard voluntary markets. These are not explicitly listed by Chesapeake but are consistent with how Maryland workers’ comp is placed; confirm case‑by‑case with underwriting. - New ventures in high‑hazard classes (heavy construction, demolition, certain manufacturing) with no prior coverage or loss history. - Uninsured subcontractor exposures or labor‑only staffing arrangements where the legal employer/employee status is unclear. - Because formal filed underwriting guidelines are not publicly posted, producers should treat the above as typical WC operational practice and check any borderline or high‑hazard class with a Chesapeake underwriter before marketing or promising terms.([tdi.texas.gov](https://tdi.texas.gov/company/underwriting-guidelines.html?utm_source=openai)) Geographic scope / territorial notes - Chesapeake / IWIF workers’ comp focuses on Maryland employers. The company is chartered in Maryland and positioned as the state’s primary and residual‑market workers’ compensation insurer.([2022mdmanual.msa.maryland.gov](https://2022mdmanual.msa.maryland.gov/msa/mdmanual/25ind/priv/html/45inj.html?utm_source=openai)) - Coverage is oriented to Maryland operations; incidental out‑of‑state exposure may be considered subject to underwriter review and Maryland regulatory requirements, but Chesapeake is not marketed as a nationwide WC carrier. Submission & producer requirements - Access is controlled through Chesapeake’s Agent eServices portal. Agents must be appointed and licensed in Maryland to quote and bind. The appointment / eServices form clarifies three account types: full agency appointment, individual producer appointment (with Maryland producer license), and non‑licensed producer (view‑only).([ceiwc.com](https://www.ceiwc.com/agents?utm_source=openai)) - To become an appointed agent, agencies must hold a Maryland firm license and complete the appointment/eServices request (submitted to marketing@ceiwc.com). Chesapeake typically responds within 1–2 business days once the form is received.([ceiwc.com](https://www.ceiwc.com/PDFs/Forms/Create-an-Agent-Account-Form_8.12.2020.pdf?utm_source=openai)) - Once appointed, agents can use the online system for quotes, renewals, and reports. Use ACORD WC applications plus any Chesapeake‑specific supplements requested via the portal or by the assigned underwriter. Provide full class codes, job duties, prior carrier and loss runs, ownership and officer/partner inclusion/exclusion details, and an explanation of any large or catastrophic claims. - For State of Maryland workers’ compensation (self‑insured program), IWIF functions strictly as claims/TPA; underwriting decisions for state agencies are coordinated through the State Treasurer’s Office Insurance Division and its designated underwriting contacts, not through standard agent submissions. Producers generally do not place this state business directly.([treasurer.state.md.us](https://treasurer.state.md.us/insurance/workers-compensation/?utm_source=openai)) Broker / producer notes - Chesapeake emphasizes strong agent relationships, competitive commissions, producer performance programs, and business‑development plans. Appointed agents are expected to use these programs and the eServices tools to manage their books efficiently.([ceiwc.com](https://www.ceiwc.com/agents?utm_source=openai)) - As Maryland’s insurer of last resort and a nonprofit, Chesapeake may still accept higher‑risk or distressed accounts that have been non‑renewed elsewhere, but terms, pricing, and risk‑control conditions will be underwriter‑driven; agents should set expectations accordingly and be prepared with complete underwriting information. - Filed underwriting guidelines themselves are not published online; Maryland law requires WC underwriting guidelines to be filed with the regulator, but they are not generally distributed to the public. Agents should rely on portal communications, underwriter direction, and any proprietary appetite tools provided by Chesapeake for current rule details.([tdi.texas.gov](https://tdi.texas.gov/company/underwriting-guidelines.html?utm_source=openai)) Operational takeaways for front‑line use - Target Maryland employers of all sizes seeking a stable, long‑term WC partner and willing to engage on safety. - Expect broad eligibility but still treat high‑hazard, multi‑state, or unusual federal exposures as underwriter‑refer risks. - Ensure your agency/producer is Maryland‑licensed and formally appointed before submitting new business. - Use the Agent eServices portal for all quoting/renewal activity; follow underwriter directions on any class‑ or exposure‑specific restrictions that are not publicly posted. - Do not route State of Maryland agency WC exposures through normal producer channels; those are administered under the separate self‑insured program with IWIF as TPA.