Short answer
ISNetworld’s Review and Verification Services (RAVS) team checks the insurance documents you or your agent submit against each hiring client’s requirements. ISN says the review can cover policy limits, insured parties, self-insured retentions, deductibles, insurer financial ratings, and effective and expiration dates, plus "certain policy endorsements" when a hiring client asks.
- The review is only as good as the documents in the system. ISN says results reflect what was provided at the time of review, and that contractors are "solely responsible" for meeting their insurance requirements.
- ISN offers an agent and broker tool so your agent can submit and monitor your insurance documents directly.
Who reviews what
ISN describes itself as collecting and reviewing "health, safety, quality, insurance, training, cybersecurity, and sustainability information" on contractors. Documents you submit, including insurance certificates, are "reviewed by ISN's Review and Verification Services (RAVS) Team" against "regulatory and Hiring Client requirements."
The hiring client, meaning the operator, decides what it requires. ISN says those requirements "can be configured by location, level of risk, or specific designations." So one review can pass for one operator and fail for another using the same documents. If your grade has already dropped, see what happens if your ISNetworld insurance grade drops.
What the insurance review checks
ISN's RAVS disclaimer lists what its insurance reviews may check "for consistency with the agreed-upon insurance and/or risk management requirements of Hiring Clients."
| Item | What a reviewer compares | Example of a failing item |
|---|---|---|
| Policy limits | Your limits against the client’s minimums | Umbrella or employers liability below the requirement |
| Insured parties | Named insured and additional insureds | Name does not match the account, or operator not added |
| Self-insured retentions and deductibles | Your retention against any client cap | Retention larger than the client allows |
| Insurer financial size and strength ratings | Your insurers’ ratings against the client’s minimum | An insurer below the client’s rating threshold |
| Effective and expiration dates | Whether coverage is current | Renewal not uploaded |
| Certain endorsements, on hiring client request | Additional insured, waiver, primary wording and similar | Certificate box checked but no endorsement submitted |
The limits of the review
ISN is clear about what its review does not do. Its disclaimer says reviews rely on "the information and/or documentation provided to ISN" when the review is done, so later policy changes may not show up. It also says contractors "are urged to review details of results provided by RAVS" and that contractors "are solely responsible for ensuring full conformance with all applicable risk management and insurance requirements."
Two practical consequences:
- Passing ISN is not proof you meet the MSA. The MSA is your contract with the operator. ISN checks what the client loaded into the system. If the MSA asks for more, you still owe it.
- Passing ISN does not change your policy. If a certificate claims coverage the policy does not have, the policy controls. In Texas, a certificate "does not amend, extend, or alter" coverage (Insurance Code Section 1811.152).
Read the result, not just the grade
When RAVS flags an item, it tells you which requirement failed. Send that exact line to your agent. "Insurance deficient" is not specific enough to fix.
How to get through review faster
ISN's own tips for staying compliant are to understand your contractual requirements, know each hiring client's requirements in ISNetworld, register your insurance agent or broker, and maintain current coverage. In practice:
- Register your agent. ISN says contractors can "grant their agent or broker access to submit and monitor insurance documentation on their behalf for no additional fee."
- Submit endorsements with the certificate. If a client requires additional insured or waiver endorsements, upload the endorsement pages, not just the ACORD 25.
- Check every client before renewal. Compare each client's current requirements to the renewal terms, so a change at renewal does not drop you out of compliance.
- Keep names consistent. The named insured on the policy, the certificate and your ISN account should match the entity that signed the MSA.
If you also work through Avetta, the same documents usually need to satisfy both. See Avetta insurance requirements.
Common questions
Does ISN decide what insurance I need?
No. The hiring client sets the requirements. ISN reviews your documents against them.
Does ISN read my endorsements?
ISN says its review may include certain policy endorsements when the hiring client requests it. If your client requires endorsements, submit the endorsement pages.
Can my agent upload directly?
Yes. ISN offers an agent and broker tool that lets your agent submit and monitor insurance documents for you at no additional fee.
If ISN accepts my insurance, am I covered for the MSA?
Not necessarily. ISN says contractors are solely responsible for meeting their insurance requirements, and the MSA may ask for more than the client loaded into ISN.
Sources
- ISN: RAVS Disclaimers. Insurance review scope (limits, insured parties, retentions, deductibles, ratings, dates, endorsements on request) and contractor responsibility.
- ISN: Contractor Management Platform for Hiring Clients. RAVS review; requirements configured by location, risk or designation.
- ISN: Contractors and Suppliers. Insurance certificates among reviewed documents; access to hiring client requirements.
- ISN: Insurance and Financial Risk Management. Agent or broker access to submit and monitor insurance documents at no additional fee.
- ISN: Client Insurance Requirements, 4 Tips for Maintaining Compliance. Contractual requirements, hiring client requirements, agent or broker registration, current coverage.
This page explains insurance, not law. Have your attorney review indemnity and contract language; our job is making the insurance match it.
Keep reading
Contract requirements
ISNetworld rejected my certificate of insurance. What do I fix?
Questions
What happens if my ISNetworld insurance grade drops?
Questions
Why was my certificate of insurance rejected?
Questions
What is a certificate of insurance, and what does it actually prove?
Contract requirements
Avetta says my insurance doesn’t meet the client’s requirements. Now what?