An agency that says it is insured has probably handed you a certificate of insurance. That is a summary. It is not the policy. The policy decides who pays when a caregiver is hurt in your home, when something of yours is damaged, or when a claim lands on the household. Read the certificate, then ask for the policy pages behind it.

Local option: New Plan Care gives families in the St. Louis area in-home help so a parent can stay home: companionship, help with bathing and dressing, meals, and overnight care. Call (314) 405-0887.

What the certificate should name

Look for four things. The insurer's name. The policy start and end dates, which should cover the whole time you plan to use the agency. The types of coverage listed: general liability for property and injury claims, workers' compensation for employees, and commercial auto if caregivers drive on the agency's behalf. Bonding, if the agency offers it, should appear as its own line.

Then check the holder line. Find out whether your family is named as certificate holder or as an additional insured. Ask the agency to say in writing which one applies. If the answer is vague, the coverage may protect the agency and not you.

Employee or contractor: the question that moves the risk

Ask every agency whether its caregivers are its own employees or independent contractors. An agency that describes its caregivers as independent contractors may still carry coverage, but the workers' compensation picture changes. If a caregiver is hurt in your home and the agency's policy does not cover that person, the claim may land on you. Ask who carries workers' compensation for the people who will walk into your house, and ask for the policy page that shows it.

This is a checklist, not legal advice. For a question about a specific claim or about your own liability, a lawyer or the state's workers' compensation office should answer it. Do not rely on the agency's own summary of your rights.

Read every line that promises satisfaction

Many agencies promise that you will be happy, that a problem will be fixed, or that a poor match will be replaced. Read those lines the way you would read the warranty on a furnace. Ask what the promise covers, who decides whether it has been met, how long you have to raise a problem, and what the remedy is: a refund, a replacement caregiver, a credit on the next bill, or nothing. If the remedy is nothing, write that down too.

The contract checklist

  • The signed service agreement, every page, not a summary of it.
  • The name of the person who signs for the person receiving care, and the agency's rule for who may sign.
  • The written route for a complaint, with a named office and a stated response time.
  • The route for a records request, so you can see visit notes when you ask for them.
  • The rule for damage, and for lost keys or entry codes in your home.
  • The background check statement: what kind of check the agency runs, and whether it is repeated.
  • The rule for swapping a caregiver, and who approves the swap.
  • The rule for ending the agreement, including notice required and what is billed after it ends.

Ask these in writing

Send the questions by email before the first visit. A written answer is a finding. A phone answer is only a memory. Ask: Who is the insurer on the general liability and workers' compensation policies? What are the policy dates? Is our household the certificate holder or an additional insured? Are your caregivers employees or independent contractors? Who carries workers' compensation for them? What does your satisfaction promise cover, and what is the remedy? Which page of the agreement sets the rule for ending service?

Plan the paperwork for the week

Set one block of time before the first shift to read the certificate, the policy page, and the agreement. Set a second block for the agency's written answers. If the agency cannot produce the policy pages within a few working days, treat that delay as a result. Keep the signed copies in one folder that the family can reach on a bad day.

Public places to check

Use general public resources to confirm facts. The state health department publishes lists of licensed home care agencies, so check whether the agency you are considering appears there. The state insurance department handles complaints about insurers. The area agency on aging can point you to local family support. A local legal aid office can explain your options if a dispute starts. None of these sources ranks agencies. Use them to verify what the agency tells you.

FAQ

Is a certificate enough? No. It is a summary. Ask for the policy pages it refers to.

What if the agency says the caregiver is an independent contractor? Ask who carries workers' compensation for that person, and ask for the page that shows it.

Does a satisfaction promise mean the agency pays me back? Not unless the agreement says so. Read the remedy line.

Should I sign before I read the policy? No. Ask for the pages first. If the agency pushes you to sign before you have them, write that down.

How we rate

On this desk, the paperwork is the evidence. We look at whether an agency puts its insurance, its promises, and its exit rules in writing and on its own site. A missing page is recorded as a finding, not filled in with a guess. For the full method, see How We Rate. For the questions that matter when a quote arrives, see How to read a home care quote.