What is affiliate certificate?

• A. A certificate to self insure issued to a private, public, or group that has common ownership to another self insure holding a master certificate.
• B. A certificate that transfers risk to a third party.
• C. A certificate that verifies a provider's credential.
• D. A certificate for a stand-alone single entity.

Answer: (A)

In California self-insurance plans, an affiliate certificate is used to include related entities that share common ownership under a master self-insured arrangement. It’s a certificate issued to a private, public, or group that has common ownership to another self-insure holding a master certificate, allowing these affiliates to participate in the master plan without forming a separate, independent self-insurer. This structure keeps the risk pool centralized under the master certificate while extending coverage to affiliated entities.

This is why the described option fits best: it specifically defines an affiliate certificate as a certificate issued to entities with common ownership to the master self-insurer, rather than transferring risk to a third party, verifying a provider’s credential, or covering a stand-alone single entity.