Insurance That Protects Your Launch: Building an Audit‑Proof Liability, Bonding, and Payroll Protection Plan

Many new non‑medical home care founders treat insurance like a checkbox—then get hit with denied claims, audit demands, or surprise bonding requirements that threaten payroll. This episode walks through a pragmatic, audit‑first approach to liability, workers' comp, surety bonds, and stop‑gap payroll protection based on lessons from Scott McKenzie and HCAB's 531+ licensed agency launches. Daniel frames the executive tradeoffs between cost and operational safety; Claire explains state licensing expectations and a clear 3‑tier checklist for bond, coverage limits, and provider enrollment; Sophia translates the founder anxiety and payroll realities into concrete staffing decisions. You’ll leave with exact questions to ask brokers, the minimum policy thresholds HCAB has seen pass state reviews, a simple calculator for coverage vs payroll risk, and a single CTA—delivered twice—for a focused HCAB checklist that prevents the costly insurance mistakes new agencies make.