Which market covers employers who obtain insurance through private, voluntary insurers without being assigned to a plan?

• A. Voluntary Market
• B. Assigned Risk Plan
• C. State Fund
• D. Self-Insured Group

Answer: (A)

The main idea here is understanding the two main markets for workers’ compensation coverage: voluntary market versus residual and government options. The voluntary market is where employers obtain coverage from private, voluntary insurers without being required to join a special plan. That description matches employers who shop with private insurers and aren’t assigned to any plan by the state.

If an employer can’t get coverage in the voluntary market, they’d be placed in the assigned risk plan (the residual market) to ensure they still have coverage. A state fund is a government-operated option that may serve as another way to obtain coverage, often for those who can’t find private carriers. A self-insured group, on the other hand, doesn’t purchase insurance from an insurer at all; they fund their own workers’ comp obligations, sometimes pooling resources with others.

So, the scenario described—getting coverage through private, voluntary insurers and not being assigned to a plan—fits the voluntary market.