Crop-Hail Products
Crop-Hail is essential to a farmer’s risk management plan because of hails’ unique ability to decimate a significant part of a planted field while leaving the rest undamaged, and therefore may not trigger an indemnity through MPCI coverage.
NAU Country offers a large variety of Crop-Hail products to ensure there is something that will fit into every farmer’s risk management plan including options from basic, no deductible, Crop-Hail coverage to an array of deductible coverages. Crop and peril-specific coverages are available, as well as specialized plans such as the Companion Plan and Production Plan hail insurance, in select regions. We also offer EASYhail, hail coverages that attach to an MPCI plan of insurance and are continuous from year to year, making the application process truly easy!
Once you have a Crop-Hail policy with NAU County, a range of technologies are available to both agents and insureds. These tools are designed to make the Crop-Hail process seamless and smooth and assist you when hail events have potentially affected your insureds’ fields. This includes mobile Crop-Hail Applications, Renewals and Quoting, Hail Notifications, our hail focused app EASYview Weather, and an easy-to-use notice of loss submission process.
Go the EXTRA mile for your insureds
Our Hail Probability report complemented by the EASYview Weather app will push your service to the next level. The Hail Probability report sends an alert via email if hail has potentially hit any of your insureds’ fields (hail must measure at 0.5” or greater). Once a notification is received, simply enter the policy number from the Hail Probability report into the EASYview Weather system. The EASYview Weather system will provide a map that shows which fields were potentially affected, what portion of the field was affected, and what size hail hit the field. In addition, you can also see the wind speed, temperature, relative humidity, dew point, and current weather conditions of the field. Take this information and provide a detailed report to your insured the next morning, reminding them that you can assist with a notice of loss submission, if needed.
Frequently Asked Questions:
How do I determine how much Crop-Hail coverage I need?
First, determine how much risk you have of a hail event. Ask yourself if you can absorb the loss if your crops incur hail damage. Then consult your NAU Country crop insurance agent to discuss the Crop-Hail policy choices and coverage levels available in your area that will most effectively meet your risk management needs.
What are the coverage limitations?
The dollar amount of coverage per-acre available for each crop is determined on a state-by-state basis. Generally, you cannot insure your crop for more than the value of the crop.
What is “insurable interest”?
To be eligible for a Crop-Hail policy, you must have an insurable interest in the crop. In other words, you must have a personal monetary risk if the crop is damaged. For example, if you own 100% of the crop you could insure up to 100% of the value of
the crop. If you are a landlord or tenant with a share lease arrangement, you can only insure the percentage of interest you have in the crop. If you have a 50% / 50% share arrangement, then the landlord and tenant could both insure their 50% interest
in the crop. If a landlord has a cash lease arrangement, they have no monetary interest in the crop and therefore are not eligible to purchase Crop-Hail coverage on that crop.
What do I need to do after I purchase my Crop-Hail policy?
Please review your policy carefully as soon as you receive it. Make sure that the crops you want covered and the coverage levels are correct. Also, check to make sure that the legal descriptions of the location of your crops and the acres are correct.
It is difficult to correct mistakes after a loss has been incurred. Consult your agent immediately if you have any questions about your policy or if you find any errors.
How long does my policy last?
Our standard Crop-Hail policies are one-year policies. Carry-over coverage to a set date is available in select states. EASYhail policies, however, are continuous – just like the underlying MPCI policy.
What do I do if I think I have had hail damage?
First, be aware of weather conditions in your area. Since hail events can be very localized, you may have damage on a field and not be aware. If you think you have hail damage, contact your agent immediately. Your Crop-Hail policy requires you to submit
a notice of loss within ten days of the damaging storm. You will need to include the time and date of the storm in your notice of loss. If your field has damage from separate storms, the time and date of each storm must be submitted.
What happens after I submit the notice of loss (NOL)?
When we receive your NOL, an adjuster will be assigned to contact you to set an appointment for an inspection of the damage. It is important that you or your representative is present at the inspection.
What will the adjuster do at the damage inspection?
When the adjuster arrives to make the damage inspection, he or she will generally take the following steps:
- The adjuster will take actual plant counts from representative parts of the field. Larger fields require more counts.
- During the inspection, the adjuster will consider different factors based on the crop type and the growth stage of the crop.
- After the inspection, the adjuster will average the plant counts to calculate the percentage of loss. If the damage occurs early in the season, you and your adjuster may agree to defer adjustment until a more accurate loss assessment can be determined.
How do you calculate my indemnity?
The percentage of loss determined from the damage inspection will be used to calculate the indemnity. For example, if you purchased basic coverage (no deductible) and the damage to your field was determined to be 15%, your indemnity would be 15% of the dollar amount insured per-acre.
Resources:
- Access NAU Country's Crop-Hail Training Suite here
- Access NAU Country's Hail and Private Product Manuals here