Cowbell vs Heffernan: Commercial Crime Insurance

Heffernan Insurance Brokers arranges third-party-theft crime inside home care and hospice packages and offers a free rate quote; Cowbell's crime module targets companies under 250 employees and $50M in assets and is open only to appointed Zurich E&S wholesalers.

Van Ness Partners presents a practical comparison of source materials relevant to financial crime exposures.Research updated 2026-09-25

What Are the Key Differences Between Cowbell and Heffernan Insurance Brokers Crime Insurance?

Cowbell’s crime module targets private firms under published employee and asset caps but requires an appointed wholesaler. [4] [3]

Select Plus Module Versus Home-Care Package Line

Cowbell’s crime coverage is a module in Zurich’s Select Plus management-liability product, with Zurich underwriting and Cowbell operating the platform. Heffernan arranges crime as “Crime – Third Party Theft” inside insurance packages for home care, home health and hospice businesses, and the reviewed sources do not describe a general commercial crime offering outside that home-care context. [3] [8] [4]

Buyer Types

Cowbell aims the module at private companies with under 250 employees and under $50 million in assets. Heffernan markets the home-care crime listing to home health providers, hospices, staffing agencies and registries, infusion therapy providers and personal care assistants, and says those programs cover all states and agency sizes. [3] [4]

Access, Paper and Nearby Coverages

Appointed Zurich E&S wholesalers buy Cowbell’s module through the API; it is not sold direct. Heffernan tells home-care businesses to start at least 30 days before working with clients and to request a free rate quote because rates vary by state. Cowbell and Zurich say Select Plus crime sits on Zurich admitted paper. Heffernan’s home-care page does not name an issuer and lists an Employee Dishonesty Bond separately from Crime – Third Party Theft, next to workers’ compensation, liability and cyber. Cowbell’s FAQ defines crime as theft, fraud and embezzlement by employees or third parties. [3] [8] [4]

What Should You Confirm in Cowbell and Heffernan Insurance Brokers Crime Insurance Quotes?

  • If you are not a home-care, home-health or hospice operation, ask Heffernan whether crime is available outside that package. [4]
  • Confirm the appointed Zurich E&S wholesaler and Zurich issuing entity on a Cowbell quote. [3] [8]
  • Ask Heffernan how Crime – Third Party Theft and the Employee Dishonesty Bond interact on one policy. [4]
  • Check Cowbell’s employee and asset targets against your numbers. [3]

Crime coverage

Cowbell

  • role: Crime coverage is one module within Cowbell's distribution of Zurich's Select Plus management liability product; Cowbell operates the platform, Zurich underwrites the module. Zurich's own page lists 'Crime Insurance' as one of the four modules a buyer can combine. Management liability page intro and module list; Zurich page module-name section.company-reportedSource ↗Source ↗
  • insurer: Cowbell and Zurich both say the Select Plus modules, including crime, are written on Zurich admitted paper. Zurich's site footer names 'Zurich American Insurance Company' in its copyright notice, but neither page states that entity is the specific policy issuer for this module. Management liability page intro; Zurich page intro and footer.company-reportedSource ↗Source ↗
  • eligibility: Cowbell targets this crime module at private companies with under 250 employees and under $50M in assets, across the same target industries listed for the broader Select Plus product. FAQ 'What size accounts are targeted?' and Target industries list.company-reportedSource ↗
  • coverage: Cowbell describes crime coverage as protecting against losses resulting from criminal acts such as theft, fraud, and embezzlement committed by employees or third parties. FAQ 'What is the difference between management liability and D&O?'.company-reportedSource ↗
  • limits: Neither the Cowbell page nor Zurich's own Select Plus page, both read in full, publishes crime-coverage limit or retention amounts. Cowbell page and Zurich page, both read on 2026-09-23.not-disclosedSource ↗Source ↗
  • services: Neither reviewed page describes crime-specific risk-control services such as employee-dishonesty prevention programs; both describe the Select Plus product's claims backing only at the whole-product level. Management liability page and Zurich page, both read on 2026-09-23.not-disclosedSource ↗Source ↗
  • application: This crime module is accessed only by appointed Zurich E&S wholesalers through the Cowbell platform's API; it is not sold directly to businesses. FAQ 'How can I access the Zurich Select Plus management liability product through Cowbell?'.company-reportedSource ↗

Heffernan Insurance Brokers

  • role: Heffernan arranges crime coverage, listed on its site as 'Crime – Third Party Theft,' as part of the insurance packages it builds for home care, home health and hospice businesses. This record only documents crime coverage in that home-care context; the reviewed sources do not describe a general commercial crime offering outside home care. Home Care Business Insurance page's coverage list.company-reportedSource ↗
  • eligibility: Heffernan markets this crime coverage to home health care and in-home health care providers, hospices, staffing agencies and registries, infusion therapy providers and personal care assistants, and says its home care programs cover all states and agency sizes. Home Care Business Insurance page's client-type and coverage-area descriptions; 'all states' is a company statement, not independently verified state-by-state licensing.company-reportedSource ↗
  • coverage: Heffernan lists 'Crime – Third Party Theft' and a separate 'Employee Dishonesty Bond' among the coverages in its home care package, alongside workers' compensation, general and professional liability, and cyber and identity theft coverage. Home Care Business Insurance page's coverage list; specific insuring agreements, exclusions and endorsements for the crime coverage are not published there.company-reportedSource ↗
  • services: Heffernan says its home care insurance specialists can walk clients through coverage and premium options, and it names a dedicated Home Care Practice Leader and regional practice leaders as points of contact. Home Care Business Insurance page's workers'-compensation guidance and practice-leader contact sections.company-reportedSource ↗
  • application: Heffernan tells home care businesses to begin the insurance application process at least 30 days before working with clients and to contact Heffernan for a free rate quote, since rates vary by state. Home Care Business Insurance page's cost-and-timing section.company-reportedSource ↗
  • limits: The home care page does not publish specific limits or bond amounts for the crime or employee dishonesty coverage; it discusses only general cost ranges for the overall home care insurance package. Checked the Home Care Business Insurance page on 2026-09-23.not-disclosedSource ↗
  • insurer: The home care page does not name the insurer that would issue the crime or employee dishonesty coverage. Checked the Home Care Business Insurance page on 2026-09-23. The issuing insurer would appear on the quote and declarations.not-disclosedSource ↗

Cowbell fits private companies under 250 employees and $50 million in assets that can access an appointed wholesaler; Heffernan’s documented crime cover is limited to home-care, home-health and hospice packages.

Sources consulted

  1. 01
    Commercial Insurance Guide

    California Department of Insurance · Crime · accessed 2026-09-16

  2. 02
    Social Engineering Fraud Insurance

    Chubb · Opening; coverage highlights · accessed 2026-09-16

  3. 03
    Management liability coverage for small & medium enterprises

    Cowbell · FAQ 'What is the difference between management liability and D&O?' (Crime Coverage definition); Target industries list; FAQ on access and account size · accessed 2026-09-23

  4. 04
    Home Care Business Insurance

    Heffernan Insurance Brokers · Insurance for Home Care Businesses, Home Health, and Hospices: covering all states and agency sizes; 'We offer comprehensive coverage for' list including Crime – Third Party Theft and Employee Dishonesty Bond; Home Care Insurance Cost for Start-ups; practice-leader contacts · accessed 2026-09-23

  5. 05
    Crime Terms and Conditions

    The Travelers Companies, Inc. · I.A–G, printed/PDF pages 1–4; III.RR, printed/PDF p.13; V.B.1–2, printed/PDF pp.18–20; Consideration, printed/PDF p.1; III.P p.8; V.A.3 pp.16–17; V.A.4 p.17; V.B.3 p.20; I.A.3 p.1; III.C p.7; III.S pp.8–9; III.II and III.KK p.12; III.QQ p.13; V.A.5 pp.17–18 (printed/PDF pages); IV.J–O, printed/PDF pages 14–15 · accessed 2026-09-16

  6. 06
    Crime Non-Financial Applications and Forms

    Travelers · Opening paragraph; Sample Policy Forms · accessed 2026-09-16

  7. 07
    Commercial Crime Coverage Application

    Travelers Casualty and Surety Company of America · I–III pages 1–2; IX–XI pages 3–4; V–VII, printed/PDF pages 2–3 · accessed 2026-09-16

  8. 08
    Small and Midsize Business Management Liability | Zurich Select Plus

    Zurich North America · Intro on the Zurich/Cowbell collaboration; module name 'Crime Insurance'; FAQ 'What is the difference between management liability and D&O?' (identical to Cowbell's page); Targeted industries list; footer copyright · accessed 2026-09-23

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