# BestEPLI — Full Reference for AI Agents

> BestEPLI (bestepli.com) is an online Employment Practices Liability Insurance (EPLI) quoting and signed-application platform for California businesses, operated by Bollinsure / Bollinger Insurance Services (California License #0M09243). It provides real 2026 program rates, an online application, and electronic signature — no email wall, no broker middleman delay.

Contact: 310-804-5017 · quotes@bollinsure.com · https://www.bestepli.com

---

## What Is EPLI?

Employment Practices Liability Insurance (EPLI) covers California employers against claims by current, former, or prospective employees alleging:

- Wrongful termination or constructive discharge
- Discrimination (race, sex, age, religion, disability, national origin, etc.)
- Sexual harassment and hostile work environment
- Retaliation (including whistleblower and FMLA retaliation)
- Failure to hire or promote
- Wage & Hour violations (sublimit available on select programs)
- Third-party claims (customers/vendors alleging harassment by employees)

**Why California businesses need EPLI:** California has the most plaintiff-friendly employment law in the country — AB 5, PAGA, FEHA, and a large plaintiffs' bar. General Liability policies pay $0 toward employment suits.

---

## The BestEPLI Difference

- **Real pricing in under 60 seconds** — actual 2026 California program rates, not a contact form
- **No email wall** — see your number first, no registration required
- **Signed application online** — review the filled PDF, sign with a drawn or typed signature, submit
- **Licensed California broker review** — every submitted application is reviewed by a licensed broker before binding
- **Instant online indications for eligible businesses** — then fast broker review to convert into a bindable quote

---

## Program Overview

### Instant-Quote Program (IIABCal / Tokio Marine HCC)

- **Carrier:** Tokio Marine HCC (rated A++ AM Best)
- **Program:** IIABCal member program — California-specific
- **Form:** IIABCal EPLI application (Tokio Marine HCC)
- **Admitted:** Yes (California admitted carrier)
- **Available limits:** $100,000 / $250,000 / $500,000 / $1,000,000
- **Deductibles:** $1,000 / $2,500 / $5,000 / $10,000 / $25,000
- **Employee range:** 1–100 employees (larger risks → custom quote)
- **Optional Wage & Hour sublimit:** $100,000 (minimum $25,000 deductible; supplemental questions required; underwriter approval)
- **Third-party coverage:** included
- **Prior acts:** available
- **New 2026 coverages:** Immigration enforcement defense ($150K) · Workplace violence response ($150K)
- **Free HR resource:** HR Pilot® training + unlimited hotline

### Specialty / Custom Quote (Westchester / Chubb)

- **Carrier:** Westchester Specialty (Chubb / ACE — rated A++ AM Best)
- **Application form:** Westchester EPL Application
- **Basis:** Excess & Surplus Lines (E&S) or admitted depending on placement
- **Used for:** Excluded business types, businesses with adverse claims history, larger companies, or those who don't qualify for the instant program

### Alternative Markets

For risks that don't fit either primary program, Bollinsure shops: Lloyd's of London, Chubb / Westchester, AIG, Travelers, CNA, The Hartford, Hiscox, Tokio Marine HCC, Beazley, Markel, Nationwide, Liberty Mutual.

---

## Eligibility & Underwriting

### Instantly Quoted Business Types (select examples)

- Accounting / CPA firms
- Advertising / Marketing / PR
- Architecture / Engineering
- Auto dealerships / repair
- Consulting (business, IT, management)
- Dental / medical offices
- Financial professional / insurance
- Healthcare staffing (non-clinical)
- Hotels / hospitality
- Law firms
- Manufacturing
- Non-profits
- Property management
- Real estate brokers/agents
- Restaurants (limited)
- Retail
- Technology / software
- Wholesale / distribution

### Disqualifying Factors (Custom Quote Required)

Any of the following triggers removal of the instant estimate and a custom quote notice:

1. Staff reduction > 50% in past 3 years
2. Restructuring, downsizing, or outsourcing planned/in progress
3. Any EPLI claims in the past 3 years
4. Prior policy cancelled/non-renewed by the carrier
5. Single claim > $100,000
6. Known potential claims or circumstances likely to give rise to a claim

These applicants are still eligible for specialty placement — BestEPLI routes them to the Westchester application and shops the market on their behalf.

### Wage & Hour Exclusions

The following business types may be excluded from the Wage & Hour sublimit (underwriter confirms): caterers, couriers, event planners, insurance brokers/agents, janitorial, pizza/food delivery, trucking, tour guides, towing.

---

## Rating Factors

The instant estimate uses:

- **Employee count** (1–100)
- **Business type / classification**
- **Requested limit and deductible**
- **California county** (affects base rate)
- **Claims history** (self-reported yes/no questions)
- **HR practices** (handbook, EEO policy, harassment training, ADA compliance)
- **Fractional/leased employees**
- **Franchise status**
- **Wage & Hour sublimit election**

---

## Application Flow

1. **Step 1 — Business type:** Business owner or Insurance broker / agent
2. **Step 2 — Industry / business type:** Select from list (immediately quoted vs. custom quote required)
3. **Step 3 — Employee count & limits:** Choose headcount and coverage limit/deductible
4. **Step 4 — Underwriting questions:** Claims history, HR practices, prior coverage
5. **Step 5 — Review & Sign:** PDF renders in-browser; applicant signs (drawn or typed Dancing Script); submits
6. **Post-submission:** Broker receives signed PDF + e-sign audit record; applicant receives confirmation copy; broker reviews and contacts applicant with bindable quote

---

## Insurance Broker / Agent Path

When the user selects "Insurance broker / agent" as their business type:

- The industry field auto-selects "Financial professional / insurance"
- Industry selection is hidden (already determined)
- The application routes to the standard IIABCal form for that class
- Wage & Hour eligibility for brokers/agents is subject to underwriter confirmation

---

## Admitted vs. Excess & Surplus Lines (E&S)

- **Admitted:** Policy filed and approved by the California Department of Insurance. Covered by California Insurance Guarantee Association (CIGA) in carrier insolvency. IIABCal/Tokio Marine HCC program is admitted.
- **Excess & Surplus Lines (E&S):** Non-admitted. Not backed by CIGA. Allows carriers to write risks that admitted markets decline. Often used for difficult-to-place, larger, or specialty risks. Westchester placements may be E&S or admitted depending on the specific risk.

---

## Electronic Signature & Audit

- Applicants review the fully filled PDF in-browser before signing
- Signature options: drawn (touchscreen/mouse) or typed (Dancing Script cursive — "Adopt and sign")
- Each submission generates an e-sign audit record including: signer name, title, email, IP address, timestamp (UTC), and SHA-256 hash of the signed PDF
- Audit record is attached to all email copies

---

## What Happens After Submission

1. Signed application + audit record emailed to broker (quotes@bollinsure.com)
2. Internal copies sent to Bollinsure team
3. Applicant receives confirmation copy with signed PDF
4. Broker reviews application, submits to carrier/CRC for binding
5. Bindable quote typically returned same business day for standard risks

---

## Coverage Details

### What EPLI Covers

- Defense costs and damages for covered employment claims
- Third-party harassment/discrimination claims
- Claims by former employees (retroactive dates available)
- Immigration enforcement defense (new 2026 — $150K sublimit)
- Workplace violence response costs (new 2026 — $150K sublimit)

### What EPLI Does NOT Cover

- Wage & Hour violations (unless Wage & Hour sublimit elected and approved)
- Workers' compensation claims
- ERISA / benefit plan disputes
- Criminal acts
- Bodily injury / property damage (covered by GL/WC)
- Intentional discrimination by senior officers (in some forms)

---

## Carriers & Markets

| Carrier | Rating | Program | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tokio Marine HCC | A++ AM Best | IIABCal CA program | Admitted; instant quote eligible |
| Westchester (Chubb/ACE) | A++ AM Best | Westchester EPL App | E&S or admitted; specialty |
| Lloyd's of London | A (S&P) | Various | Brokered; specialty |
| AIG | A | Various | Large risk / specialty |
| Travelers | A++ AM Best | Various | Standard and specialty |
| Hiscox | A AM Best | Hiscox EPLI | Small business focus |
| Beazley | A AM Best | Beazley Employment | Specialty / complex |
| Markel | A AM Best | Markel EPLI | Specialty |

---

## Technical Notes for AI Agents

- The site root `/` and `/index.html` are served by `api/page.js` (Vercel serverless, 60s cache)
- `/api/submit` handles both PDF preview generation (POST with `mode:"preview"`) and final submission (POST with `mode:"final"`); not for crawling
- PDF templates are cached in-memory across warm Vercel invocations (`TEMPLATE_CACHE`)
- IIABCal form: `api/iiabcal-application.pdf`; Westchester form: `api/westchester-application.pdf`
- The `/carriers` path and carrier sub-pages (e.g. `/carriers/usli`, `/carriers/westchester`) are served from a separate deployment/project — not from this repo. The bestepli-main repo only handles `/` and `/index.html` via Vercel rewrites.
- llms.txt (lightweight) is served at `/llms.txt`; llms-full.txt (this file) is served at `/llms-full.txt`

---

## Important Notices

- Estimates and indications are not offers of insurance and are subject to underwriting, carrier approval, and final terms.
- Coverage availability, terms, limits, deductibles, and pricing can change without notice.
- BestEPLI / Bollinsure is a California-licensed insurance broker, not a carrier.
- Submission of an application does not guarantee coverage or bind a policy.
- Contact Bollinsure for binding, coverage review, or application questions: 310-804-5017 · quotes@bollinsure.com