AGRiP Online Sourcebook for Intergovernmental Risk And Benefits Pools

This online version is provided as a service to AGRiP Member Pools, Affilliate Members and Partners. Your AGRiP membership must be current to access the Sourcebook. This online version replaces the print version that was last issued in January 2004 and discontinued in December 2006.

Click here to view a sample page of the information included in the Sourcebook.

If you administer a pool that is not a AGRiP member and would like to review the Sourcebook information regarding that pool, please contact Special Projects Coordinator Craig Bodine at cbodine@agrip.org.

Click here to login to the Sourcebook.

Public Entity Risk and Benefits Pool Taxonomy

The following was used to help make the distinction between pools, funds, sponsored products and service organizations for the AGRiP Sourcebook for Intergovernmental Risk and Benefits Pools.

A pool is a separate and distinct legal entity composed of public entity members that have joined together to finance an exposure, liability or risk. The financing mechanism may be group purchase or group self-funding, a combination of the two, or other cooperative financing means, for primary and/or excess coverage. The risk transferred to the pool by members may include one or more lines in the complete spectrum of property and casualty, worker's compensation, bonds, employee benefits, or other exposures. Some pools provide primary coverage, others provide only excess coverage, while others have separate primary and excess coverage programs.

Pools are generally identified as a "Risk Pool", "Benefits Pool" or " Risk and Benefits Pool".

A fund is a separate and distinct coverage program within a pool that is treated as one accounting entity. For example, a pool with coverage programs for property and liability coverage that treats them as separate accounting entities (usually because of separate memberships and/or participation agreements) has two funds. If they are treated as one accounting entity there is only one fund. Likewise, if they are in fact distinct legal entities as well as accounting entities, then they are two pools, each with one fund; rather than one pool with two funds.

A sponsored insurance product is a commercial insurance program, product or coverage offered through the pool/fund where there is no assumption of risk by the fund with which it is associated. Examples are life insurance, aviation, special events or accidental death and dismemberment policies issued by commercial insurance companies.

A service organization is an entity other than a pool that provides general administration and management service for the pool. This may be a related or sponsoring association, a broker, a third-party administrator/contractor or other organization that provides the "staffing" for the pool, where the employees remain employees of the service organization.

The taxonomy then is:

Pool - a legal entity that offers one or more coverage programs (funds)

Staffed by -
Its own employees, OR
A Service Organization

That offers -

A fund - one or more coverage programs treated as a single accounting entity, OR
Multiple funds - two or more coverage programs treated as separate accounting entities.
That may include - sponsored insurance product(s) issued by commercial insurance companies

Contact Information

In most instances the Name and Acronym are for pools that exist as separate legal entities. Where there is more than one pool associated with an umbrella organization, each pool may be listed separately. However, in some instances it will be the name of a sponsoring association or league where the status of the pool as a separate legal entity could not be determined.

If the pool does not have its own address, the mailing address and phone may be for the umbrella organization (such as a league or association) or a contract administrator; however, it is the official address and phone provided for contact with the pool.

Key Staff members may be employees of the pool, sponsoring association or a broker/TPA. If staffing is provided by a sponsoring association or broker/TPA, the sponsoring association or broker/TPA will be listed in the detail for each FUND and the acronym for the sponsoring association or broker/TPA will be listed after each key staff person.

Operating Characteristics

Full and Part Time Staff include contracted employees who serve as dedicated pool staff, as well as employees actually employed by the pool or the sponsoring association. It does not include employees of a broker/TPA.

Governing Board(s)

Respondents were asked to indicate the typical Frequency of Board Meetings. A Delegate Board is composed of a representative from each member. On a Representative Board the Governing body members may be Elected and/or Appointed to the Board.

There are a variety of methods used for election and/or appointment of Board members.

Type of Pool

Pools were asked to describe themselves among three generally accepted classes based on the type of coverage provided. Other typologies could be used; however, in this document a Monoline pool is one that has only one line of coverage. A Multiline pool is one with two or more lines of coverage in which a member must participate in all lines; while a Fleet pool has two or more lines of coverage and members choose in which lines to participate. If a pool does not fit in one of these three classes it is listed as Other.

Fund Structures

Each respondent was asked to complete a Fund Detail sheet for each Fund or Coverage Program and to provide information on each. In most cases, a Fund is a distinct accounting entity. The Type of Coverage indicated is listed in the box heading for each fund. Where the pool's employed staff provides a listed service the phrase "in-house" is the response. Where a sponsoring association or a contract administrator provides services, the name or acronym of that entity is listed.

For the Sourcebook respondents were asked to indicate which Fund or Coverage Programs are Sponsored Insurance Products which means they do not assume any of the risk. The name of the sponsoring administrator will be listed in the fund detail section.