Foundershield vs Heffernan: Hired and Non-Owned Auto Insurance

Founder Shield places HNOA through third-party carriers; Heffernan Insurance Brokers includes it in coverage for home health and care agencies.

Embarcadero Risk brings together source-based comparisons for businesses moving people and goods.Research updated 2026-09-25

What Are the Key Differences Between Founder Shield and Heffernan Insurance Brokers Hired and Non-Owned Auto Insurance?

Caregiver Package Line Versus Liability-Only Brokerage

Heffernan places hired and non-owned auto liability inside its home-care, home-health, and hospice insurance program, alongside owned-auto and other package coverages, rather than underwriting the line itself. Founder Shield brokers a liability-only product with third-party carriers for mobile employees, rentals, and volunteers. Choose Heffernan if you run a care agency and want this coverage inside that caregiver program; choose Founder Shield if you need liability-only hired and non-owned auto outside a home-care package. [5] [3] [2]

Home-Care Trades Versus Sales, Delivery, and Volunteer Driving

Heffernan markets the bundled auto coverage to home health, in-home care, hospice, staffing-agency, infusion-therapy, and home-health-aide businesses, and says those programs cover all states and agency sizes. Founder Shield markets hired and non-owned auto to businesses with mobile employees such as salespeople or delivery drivers, companies that rent vehicles, organizations that rely on volunteers, and small businesses without a company fleet. Healthcare visit driving can appear on both lists, but Heffernan's reviewed discussion is the home-care package, not a general volunteer or sales-force product. [5] [3]

Form Notes, Timing, and Carrier Floor

Founder Shield says the policy covers third-party bodily injury, property damage, and legal defense when personal auto denies or limits a business-use claim, and it excludes physical damage to the vehicle, company-owned vehicles, and injuries to the employee driver. Heffernan lists Non-owned and Hired Auto separately from Business/Owned Auto so caregiver personal and rental trips sit on a different agreement from the agency fleet, and it tells agencies to apply at least 30 days before serving clients. Founder Shield says it uses A- or better AM Best carriers; Heffernan's reviewed page does not publish limits or name the insurer. [3] [4] [5]

What Should You Confirm in Founder Shield and Heffernan Insurance Brokers Hired and Non-Owned Auto Insurance Quotes?

  • Ask Founder Shield which A- or better carrier will issue the policy and whether volunteers are covered. [4] [3]
  • Ask Heffernan how non-owned and hired auto differs from owned auto on the home-care package. [5]
  • Confirm Heffernan's 30-day application window if you are opening a care agency. [5]
  • Get limits from both quotes; Heffernan does not publish them. [5] [3]

Heffernan puts hired and non-owned auto inside its home-care, home-health, and hospice program for caregiver visits. Founder Shield brokers a liability-only policy for mobile employees, rentals, and volunteers.

Source material

  1. 01
    Commercial Insurance Guide

    California Department of Insurance · Commercial General Liability; Commercial Automobile; What Should I Expect from a Broker-Agent?; How Are Commercial Policies Rated? · accessed 2026-09-16

  2. 02
    About Us

    Founder Shield · “Founder Shield is the innovation arm of The Baldwin Group”; company history and mission · accessed 2026-09-23

  3. 03
    Hired and Non-Owned Auto Insurance

    Founder Shield · What Is Hired and Non-Owned Auto Insurance?; Who Needs Hired and Non-Owned Auto Insurance Coverage?; What Does Hired and Non-Owned Auto Insurance Cover? · accessed 2026-09-23

  4. 04
    How Do You Decide Which Carriers to Approach?

    Founder Shield · FAQ answer on carrier selection: works exclusively with A-rated (AM Best) carriers, matched by industry appetite · accessed 2026-09-23

  5. 05
    Home Care Business Insurance

    Heffernan Insurance Brokers · We offer comprehensive coverage for: Workers' Compensation Insurance, General and Professional Liability, Employment Practice Liability, Business/Owned Auto, Non-owned and Hired Auto, Sexual Abuse, Crime, Employee Dishonesty Bond, Cyber & Identity Theft, Medical Billing E&O, Property Coverage and more; covering all states and agency sizes · accessed 2026-09-23

  6. 06
    Non-Owned Auto Liability Insurance

    Hiscox · What is covered?; Who is covered; What the policy does not cover · accessed 2026-09-16

  7. 07
    Business Auto Coverage Form

    ISO; hosted by National General · I.A p.1; II.A pp.2–3; II.B pp.3–4; III pp.4–6; IV.B.5 p.7 · accessed 2026-09-16

Coverage topics

Founder Shield

  • role: Founder Shield is a retail insurance brokerage, described on its site as “the innovation arm of The Baldwin Group,” and places Founder Shield Hired and Non-Owned Auto Insurance with third-party carriers rather than underwriting the policy itself. About-us page; applies to Founder Shield's brokerage model generally, restated here for this line.company-reportedSource ↗
  • eligibility: Founder Shield markets HNOA to businesses with mobile employees such as salespeople or delivery drivers, companies that rent vehicles, organizations that rely on volunteers, and small businesses without a company fleet. HNOA product page.company-reportedSource ↗
  • coverage: Founder Shield says HNOA is a liability-only policy covering third-party bodily injury, third-party property damage and legal defense costs when an employee uses a personal or rented vehicle for business and their personal auto policy denies or limits the claim. Product page; the issued policy and declarations control actual coverage.company-reportedSource ↗
  • coverage: Founder Shield notes HNOA does not cover physical damage to the hired or non-owned vehicle itself, accidents involving company-owned vehicles, or injuries to the employee driving (covered instead by workers' compensation). HNOA product page.company-reportedSource ↗
  • insurer: Founder Shield says it places policies, including Founder Shield Hired and Non-Owned Auto Insurance, only with carriers rated A- or better by AM Best, chosen for the client's industry. It does not name the issuing insurer for this line; that depends on which carrier the policy is placed with. General carrier-selection FAQ, not specific to this line's placements.company-reportedSource ↗
  • application: You request Founder Shield Hired and Non-Owned Auto Insurance through Founder Shield's website or an insurance advisor rather than binding coverage directly; Founder Shield says its placement team then approaches carriers on the client's behalf. About-us and carrier-selection pages describe the general placement process, not a line-specific application form.company-reportedSource ↗Source ↗

Heffernan Insurance Brokers

  • role: Heffernan places hired and non-owned auto liability as part of its home care, home health, and hospice insurance program, alongside owned-auto and other package coverages, rather than underwriting the coverage itself. Home Care Business Insurance page as read on 2026-09-23; other Heffernan practices were not checked for this line.company-reportedSource ↗
  • eligibility: Heffernan markets this bundled auto coverage to home health, in-home care, hospice, staffing-agency, infusion-therapy, and home-health-aide businesses, and says its home care programs cover all states and agency sizes. Home Care Business Insurance page as read on 2026-09-23; 'all states' is a company marketing statement, not a state-by-state availability table.company-reportedSource ↗
  • coverage: The home care package lists Non-owned and Hired Auto alongside Business/Owned Auto, so caregivers driving personal or rented vehicles for client visits are covered under a separate insuring agreement from the agency's own fleet. Home Care Business Insurance page as read on 2026-09-23; the page does not detail limits, exclusions, or whether hired/non-owned auto is sold on a stand-alone basis outside the home care package.company-reportedSource ↗
  • limits: The reviewed page does not publish limits, deductibles, or premium ranges for the hired and non-owned auto coverage. Home Care Business Insurance page as read on 2026-09-23.not-disclosedSource ↗
  • application: Heffernan tells home care businesses to start the insurance application process at least 30 days before working with clients and to contact the firm for a free rate quote, since rates vary by state. Home Care Business Insurance page as read on 2026-09-23; applies to the home care package generally, not solely to auto coverage.company-reportedSource ↗
  • services: Heffernan says its home care insurance specialists walk clients through coverage and premium questions, including how to minimize costs and risks, and that it partners with CAHSAH and the Home Care Association of America. Home Care Business Insurance page as read on 2026-09-23; described for the home care program generally, not exclusively for the auto coverage.company-reportedSource ↗

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