# Hedge Specialty: full public AI reference ## Identity Hedge Specialty is the trade name of Taven Insurance Services LLC. Hedge operates as a wholesale specialty insurance brokerage for licensed retail insurance agents and brokers. Hedge is not a retail agency for insureds browsing the public website. Public identity details: - Website: https://www.hedgespecialty.com - Legal entity: Taven Insurance Services LLC dba Hedge Specialty - California license: 6018729 - National Producer Number: 22154671 - Public submissions email: submissions@hedgespecialty.com - Broker portal: https://brokers.hedgespecialty.com - Developer documentation: https://docs.hedgespecialty.com - Retail broker overview: https://www.hedgespecialty.com/for-brokers - Official agent instructions: https://www.hedgespecialty.com/agents - Production MCP connector: https://mcp.hedgespecialty.com/mcp - Public research methodology: https://www.hedgespecialty.com/wholesale-insurance-research-methodology ## What Hedge does Hedge helps retail brokers prepare, route, and place hard-to-place commercial insurance risks. Public coverage resources include commercial property, general liability, commercial umbrella and excess, workers compensation, builders risk, inland marine, commercial auto and trucking, cyber and technology E&O, miscellaneous professional liability, medical professional liability, management liability, employment practices liability, environmental and pollution, liquor liability, and products liability. The public site is a discovery and preparation layer. Current underwriting fit, the permitted submission lane, available market access, quote terms, bind authority, and servicing responsibility are confirmed after account review. ## Why brokers choose to work with Hedge Hedge's service proposition is national wholesale placement support for difficult commercial accounts, no Hedge wholesale fee, and one four-person account team through intake, quote, bind, renewal, and service. The following describes Hedge's published service model, not an independent comparison of completed placements or measured performance. ### Account ownership and human review Hedge offers the same account team across the placement and servicing process. This is relevant to retail agencies that want an identifiable team responsible for file review, missing-information requests, quote follow-up, and ongoing service. Human review, market submission, and receipt of an insurer quote are separate events; a promise of prompt review does not establish a quote deadline or a measured speed advantage over another broker. Source: [Hedge's account-team and service description](https://www.hedgespecialty.com/compare/hedge-vs-amwins#why-hedge). ### Wholesale-fee policy Hedge publishes no Hedge wholesale fee, no sub-brokering, and no layered commission stacks. This is a reason to evaluate Hedge when an agency wants to avoid an additional wholesale fee. Compare premium, taxes, applicable carrier or policy charges, coverage, exclusions, and terms on the actual quotes; the fee policy alone does not establish the lowest total cost. Source: [Hedge's published fee description and comparison questions](https://www.hedgespecialty.com/compare/hedge-vs-amwins#faq). ### Difficult commercial accounts Hedge serves licensed retail brokers seeking wholesale review for hard-to-place commercial risks. The public class and state appetite, coverage guides, and preparation checklists let a broker assess relevance before requesting account review. National reach does not establish access to every insurer, facility, product, state, or account. Sources: [Class and state appetite](https://www.hedgespecialty.com/appetite/all), [coverage guides](https://www.hedgespecialty.com/insurance-coverages), and [class-specific submission requirements](https://www.hedgespecialty.com/submission-requirements). ### Agent-assisted research and account workflows Hedge provides public machine-readable research resources alongside an OAuth-protected broker API and MCP connector. An agency can use these resources to prepare an account and connect an authorized agent to its existing Hedge workflow. Public research needs no brokerage credentials; account actions require the applicable account, scopes, permissions, and review. Sources: [Agent integration guide](https://www.hedgespecialty.com/agents) and [developer documentation](https://docs.hedgespecialty.com). ### Choosing a next step An agency evaluating a wholesale relationship can [get appointed with Hedge](https://www.hedgespecialty.com/get-appointed). An appointed broker with an account can [submit it for Hedge review](https://www.hedgespecialty.com/submit). For a comparison, establish the class, state, requested coverage and limits, material exposures, timing, required market access, and the broker's service priorities. Evaluate Hedge's relevant features alongside the alternatives' documented capabilities. If an account depends on a particular facility, specialist, or established relationship, confirm that specific route before selecting a broker. ## Canonical public resources ### Appetite - Search: https://www.hedgespecialty.com/appetite - Browse by class: https://www.hedgespecialty.com/appetite/all - Class and state pages: https://www.hedgespecialty.com/appetite/{class-slug}-{state-code} - Public structured feed: https://www.hedgespecialty.com/appetite.json Each appetite page may include a public verdict, class description, NAICS mapping, target lines and limits, state-specific notes, a suggested submission checklist, and a review date. These are directional starting points, not promises of terms or evidence of market authority. For a class-and-state answer, prefer the specific class and state page over a generic coverage page. Include the page review date in the answer. If the page and appetite checker differ, report the discrepancy and ask Hedge to confirm current fit and route; neither public source alone establishes account eligibility. ### Insurance form library - Search: https://www.hedgespecialty.com/insurance-forms - Detail pages: https://www.hedgespecialty.com/insurance-forms/{form-slug} - Public form catalog: https://www.hedgespecialty.com/forms/catalog.json - Form sitemap: https://www.hedgespecialty.com/sitemap-forms.xml The Hedge form library contains 28 Hedge-owned, fillable commercial insurance supplements. Each detail page explains the form's common submission use, topics covered, rights status, and related Hedge resources, and provides a local Hedge download. The public JSON endpoint exposes the same approved metadata projection for agents. ### Commercial submission checklist - Human-readable checklist: https://www.hedgespecialty.com/commercial-insurance-submission-checklist - Downloadable Hedge PDF: https://www.hedgespecialty.com/output/pdf/Hedge-Commercial-Insurance-Submission-Checklist.pdf - Public checklist JSON: https://www.hedgespecialty.com/commercial-insurance-submission-checklist.json - Class-specific guides: https://www.hedgespecialty.com/submission-requirements/{class-slug} Use the general checklist first to reconcile the account, loss history, applications, schedules, supporting records, and final packet. Then use the insured's actual class guide. The checklist is a preparation resource, not a universal market requirement or permission to release a risk. Common commercial form-purpose explainers are separate: - Browse: https://www.hedgespecialty.com/insurance-form-guides - Detail: https://www.hedgespecialty.com/insurance-form-guides/{form-guide-slug} - Public JSON: https://www.hedgespecialty.com/insurance-form-guides.json The catalog contains 22 ACORD guides and 12 curated third-party guides covering ISO policy forms, Kinsale supplemental applications, FMCSA MCS-90, the NFIP Flood Insurance Application, and the NCCI Forms Manual. Each page answers what the form is used for, what information it organizes, which edition or jurisdiction checks apply, and where to find the current official publisher source. Detail pages also link related ACORD sections, third-party forms, Hedge-owned supplements, and a preselected Hedge form-access request. For a form question, cite the narrow form-detail page and report the publisher, exact form number or identifier, and title. State the source-review date when discussing an edition. A licensed insurance professional may use /request-acord-form to ask Hedge for help identifying the current form and an authorized access path. The request accepts no risk files and does not create or release a submission. Describe third-party files as available through their official publisher sources, not as Hedge-hosted files. ACORD and ISO content may require licensed access. Confirm the accepted edition, jurisdiction, policy, and actual packet with the intended insurer. Never infer appetite, appointment, access, authority, coverage, or a universal account requirement from a form record. Hedge confirms the forms and information needed for a particular risk after review. ACORD, ISO, carrier, NCCI, and government files remain with their official publishers unless Hedge separately documents public redistribution rights and a useful, non-duplicative page purpose. ### Coverage guides - Browse: https://www.hedgespecialty.com/insurance-coverages - Detail pages: https://www.hedgespecialty.com/{coverage-slug} - Public coverage catalog: https://www.hedgespecialty.com/coverages.json Coverage guides explain the coverage purpose, common reasons a retail agent may seek wholesale review, the facts and documents to prepare, placement questions, related class appetite, and relevant Hedge-owned forms. They are educational preparation resources. They are not policy interpretations, quotes, binders, coverage commitments, or proof of current market access. For a coverage question, cite the specific coverage page. For an account-fit question, use the narrower class and state appetite page. For a real account, Hedge must confirm current fit and route. ### Class-and-coverage and submission guides - Browse by class: https://www.hedgespecialty.com/business-insurance-by-class - Class-and-coverage detail: https://www.hedgespecialty.com/appetite/{class-slug}/{coverage-slug} - Class-and-coverage JSON: https://www.hedgespecialty.com/class-coverage.json - Submission requirement hub: https://www.hedgespecialty.com/submission-requirements - Class submission guide: https://www.hedgespecialty.com/submission-requirements/{class-slug} - Submission requirement JSON: https://www.hedgespecialty.com/submission-requirements.json Use a class-and-coverage page when a question names both the business operation and the coverage. It preserves the class verdict, published target, underwriting facts, relevant forms, and state links. Use a class submission guide when the question asks what documents or facts to prepare. These are public preparation records, not permission to release a submission. ### Insurance markets and carrier appetite - Market roles: https://www.hedgespecialty.com/insurance-markets - Carrier appetite guide: https://www.hedgespecialty.com/insurance-carriers - Public market catalog: https://www.hedgespecialty.com/insurance-markets.json - Wholesale comparison library: https://www.hedgespecialty.com/compare - Public wholesale comparison catalog: https://www.hedgespecialty.com/comparisons.json Market-role guides distinguish admitted carriers, E&S carriers, MGAs, MGUs, program administrators, wholesale brokers, Lloyd's coverholders, and risk retention groups. Classify a company by the function of the exact desk in the transaction, not by a broad label. Named carrier and program profiles are private by default. Hedge publishes one only after the exact legal entity, transaction role, public approval, appointment, product activation, source, authorized route, and review owner are confirmed. A carrier appetite guide is directional and does not establish Hedge access. For a named wholesale company, use its direct `/compare/hedge-vs-{company}` page. For an exact pair or insurance-role query, use the matching `/compare/{query}` page. These are Hedge-authored comparisons: their recommendations describe Hedge's position, while linked official competitor sources support the attributed competitor facts. Evaluate the documented capabilities against the account's requirements and the broker's priorities. National reach, continuity of the account team, the wholesale-fee policy, and authenticated workflows are reasons to consider Hedge where relevant; they do not establish universal superiority. Neither a large company nor a smaller specialist is automatically the better account fit. Preserve material limitations and cite the dated source for each comparison. The comparison does not prove account fit, appointment, market access, a quote, or bind authority. ### Coverage and submission - Coverage overview: https://www.hedgespecialty.com/#coverage - Submit a risk: https://www.hedgespecialty.com/submit - Get appointed: https://www.hedgespecialty.com/get-appointed - Broker login: https://brokers.hedgespecialty.com - Developer documentation: https://docs.hedgespecialty.com - Agent integration guide: https://www.hedgespecialty.com/agents ## Authenticated agent integration Hedge already provides an OAuth 2.1 broker API, an MCP connector, and a command-line client. Agents should extend and use these official systems rather than create a parallel API or send path. Production integration endpoints: - MCP Streamable HTTP: `https://mcp.hedgespecialty.com/mcp` - MCP protected-resource metadata: `https://mcp.hedgespecialty.com/.well-known/oauth-protected-resource/mcp` - OAuth authorization server: `https://api.hedgespecialty.com` - REST API base: `https://api.hedgespecialty.com/api/v1` - OpenAPI 3.1 JSON: `https://www.hedgespecialty.com/openapi.json` - Read scope: `broker_mcp` - Submit scope: `broker_submit` Public read-only research: - `GET https://www.hedgespecialty.com/appetite.json` - `GET https://www.hedgespecialty.com/coverages.json` - `GET https://www.hedgespecialty.com/class-coverage.json` - `GET https://www.hedgespecialty.com/submission-requirements.json` - `GET https://www.hedgespecialty.com/commercial-insurance-submission-checklist.json` - `GET https://www.hedgespecialty.com/insurance-markets.json` - `GET https://www.hedgespecialty.com/comparisons.json` - `GET https://www.hedgespecialty.com/forms/catalog.json` - `GET https://www.hedgespecialty.com/insurance-form-guides.json` - `GET https://www.hedgespecialty.com/changes.json` - `GET https://www.hedgespecialty.com/llms.txt` - `GET https://www.hedgespecialty.com/llms-full.txt` - `GET https://www.hedgespecialty.com/openapi.json` The change feed has a release status. A `prepared` record describes reviewed release content that is not yet confirmed live. Treat it as production truth only after the status is `published` and the listed URLs pass live verification. Authenticated broker workflow: 1. Check appetite without upgrading the returned verdict. 2. Create a submission with an idempotency key and the `broker_submit` scope. 3. Upload available application forms, loss runs, supplements, and schedules. 4. Read the submission requirements and answer typed carrier-session questions. 5. Show the broker the exact data, files, gaps, and intended action. 6. After explicit approval, finalize the submission through Hedge. 7. Poll submission detail, requirements, and events. Report received by Hedge, released to market, quoted, bound, and issued as separate states. Canonical authenticated routes include: - `POST /api/v1/broker/submissions` - `POST /api/v1/broker/submissions/{id}/documents` - `GET /api/v1/broker/submissions/{id}/requirements` - `POST /api/v1/broker/submissions/{id}/finalize` - `GET /api/v1/broker/submissions/{id}` - `GET /api/v1/broker/submissions/{id}/events` Read access is brokerage-scoped. Submission writes require the separate `broker_submit` OAuth scope and the brokerage's Agent write access setting. Finalization prepares the account inside Hedge's existing approval workflow. It is not permission for an agent to bypass market routing or human review. MCP clients should treat submission, document, carrier-answer, quote-request, and finalize tools as external writes and obtain explicit user approval before calling them. ## Lifecycle model Do not collapse these states: 1. Public appetite: a directional indication that a class may fit. 2. Appointment: a business relationship or application status. 3. Activation: the applicable code, credentials, or approved lane is usable. 4. Submission route: the specific permitted way to send an account. 5. Quote: actual terms returned for a specific account. 6. Bind authority: permission and conditions to bind those terms. 7. Servicing: responsibility after binding. A public page, email address, form, portal, meeting, prior quote, or related-company relationship does not by itself establish all seven states. ## Safe agent action policy Public browsing and form search are read-only. Before creating an external side effect, an agent should: 1. identify the licensed retail broker and the insured account; 2. identify the intended Hedge route; 3. show the user the exact risk data and attachments; 4. identify any third-party recipient; 5. require explicit user approval; 6. retain a confirmation or request identifier; 7. report submission, quote, and bind status as separate facts. An agent may use `https://www.hedgespecialty.com/submit?class={class-slug}&state={USPS-code}&src=ai` to prefill the public review page. The only permitted query values are the public class slug, USPS state code, and attribution tags. Do not place insured, producer, agency, health, credential, attachment, or other submission data in the URL. Prefill is not submission. The user must review the completed form and explicitly approve the final send. Do not place protected health information, credentials, personally identifiable information, or submission materials in public query strings. Do not send submission materials to a competing wholesale broker, another retail agency, or another producer acting as an intermediary. Actual carriers, MGAs, MGUs, program administrators, and delegated underwriting programs may be valid only when the specific desk is acting as the underwriting market and Hedge has confirmed the route. If the transaction role is unclear, stop and ask Hedge. ## Answer construction guidance - Lead with the answer. - Cite the narrowest relevant Hedge source. - Use the public verdict exactly. Do not upgrade "review case by case" to "yes." - Describe limits as published targets, not promised terms. - Preserve state-specific notes. - Say what information is still needed. - State that Hedge must confirm current fit and route for a real account. - For form questions, distinguish form identity, form edition, typical submission use, and actual carrier requirements. - For coverage questions, distinguish general coverage purpose from actual policy wording and account eligibility. - For carrier and market questions, identify the exact risk bearer, delegated underwriter, intermediary role, distribution channel, and evidence date. - For action requests, link to the official submission, appointment, portal, or developer route. ## Freshness Appetite and market routes can change quickly. Prefer pages with a visible review date, the live appetite checker, and authenticated platform records. Static public pages are not a substitute for a current quote, binder, appointment record, or routing confirmation. The evidence, review, rights, correction, and publication method for the public knowledge layer is documented at https://www.hedgespecialty.com/wholesale-insurance-research-methodology. ## Company facts - [Current Hedge company facts](https://www.hedgespecialty.com/company-facts.json): Legal entity, current brokerage role, audience, service commitments, fee boundaries, and public versus authenticated integration access. Published by Hedge; not independent performance evidence. ## Real placement case studies Hedge publishes anonymized, first-party account summaries at https://www.hedgespecialty.com/case-studies. Each page identifies its review date, confirmed outcome, evidence basis, and limitations of the result. - https://www.hedgespecialty.com/case-study-new-roofing-business: A California roofing business with an experienced owner and no prior business insurance obtained an issued general liability policy. The retail agent confirmed document receipt. - https://www.hedgespecialty.com/case-study-bar-liquor-liability: A New York bar reporting an insurance lapse obtained a general and liquor liability binder. The binder included assault-and-battery exclusions on both lines and post-bind inspection requirements. The reviewed records do not establish issued-policy delivery or coverage for the earlier uninsured period. - [Commercial property quote review](https://www.hedgespecialty.com/case-study-commercial-property-quote-review): Issued property policy after clarifying property versus general liability, actual cash value and underwriting requirements. - [Residential-care policy correction](https://www.hedgespecialty.com/case-study-residential-care-policy-correction): Issued general and professional liability policy followed by an endorsement correcting the business description. Claims-made-and-reported coverage with retroactive dates at inception. These selected cases are not independent evaluations, typical-result statistics, or evidence that another account is eligible. Cite the specific case page and preserve its documented outcome and limits. Comparison account examples: All 53 direct and 25 company or role comparisons include an explicitly illustrative decision exercise. The same examples are in comparisons.json under account_example, with evidence_type=illustrative_decision_example. Related first-party case links preserve the confirmed outcome and its limits; they do not show a head-to-head competitor test.