Public Entities Umbrella Insurance

McGowan Program Administrators — Public Entities Umbrella Insurance

The McGowan Companies offers a dedicated Public Entities Umbrella Insurance program designed for municipal and special district risks. This Managing General Underwriter placement provides excess liability capacity up to $20 million and a broad "follow form" appetite for common public-entity exposures. The program is intended for agents and brokers seeking stable excess capacity and flexible follow-form wording for public clients.

Eligible Classes and Ideal Accounts

• Cities, towns and villages with populations under 100,000
• Special purpose districts (water, sewer, park, tax, fire districts)
• Counties with populations under 250,000

Ideal accounts are public entities with established risk management practices, disciplined claim histories, and underlying liability placements that meet the program’s required underwriting standards. Typical fits include municipal water districts, volunteer fire districts, small towns, and county departments with public-facing operations.

Coverage Highlights and Advantages

• Limits available up to $20,000,000 of umbrella/excess capacity.
• Available follow-form coverages include Employee Benefits Liability, Employers Liability, Employment Practices Liability, EMT Liability, Fire Department Liability, Fire Department Errors & Omissions, Hired & Non-Owned Auto, Owned Auto Liability, Law Enforcement Liability, and Public Officials E&O.
• Designed to sit above standard municipal liability and auto liability programs; works well where consolidated excess protection is preferred.
• Ability to place layered limits with consistent follow-form wording to reduce gaps between primary and excess layers.
• Access to multiple carriers (varies by account) through McGowan’s market relationships.

Underwriting Notes

• Required underlying rating: A- / VII (or equivalent underwriting strength on primary carriers).
• Underwriting focuses on claims history, existing liability and auto limits, and operational exposures (e.g., law enforcement, fire department activities, EMS operations).
• Fire and EMS operations, law enforcement, and public officials exposures are acceptable when operations are supported by documented policies, training, and oversight.
• Large catastrophic exposures, entities with repeated professional liability losses, or accounts without acceptable underlying limits may be declined or restricted.
• Minimum premium information is set by the carrier and varies by state and exposure—confirm on submission.

Territories and Admission

The program is available in all states (including DC) through The McGowan Companies’ placement channels. Coverage may be offered on an admitted or non-admitted basis depending on carrier and state regulatory considerations; discuss placement options with McGowan underwriting for the target state.

Example Account Scenarios

• You have a water district serving a 15,000-population town that maintains municipal vehicles, employs public works crews, and contracts with private vendors. The program can layer excess limits and follow the district’s primary General Liability and Auto policies.
• You represent a volunteer fire district seeking additional excess limits above its primary GL and volunteer firefighters’ liability programs. McGowan’s follow-form wording for Fire Department Liability and Fire Dept. E&O can provide consistent excess coverage for these operations.

Why Place Public Entity Umbrella with The McGowan Companies

The McGowan Companies combines public-entity underwriting experience with market access and flexible follow-form options. Agents benefit from tailored excess placement for municipal and special district clients, underwriting responsiveness on public exposures, and access to multiple carriers for layered solutions. If your account meets the program’s underlying requirements and you need up to $20M of excess capacity with common public-entity follow-form coverages, this program is designed to be a reliable placement option.

Frequently Asked Questions

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