Beazley vs Hiscox: How Do They Compare for Professional Liability (E&O) Insurance?

Hiscox, a licensed insurance intermediary, sells professional liability online to small businesses in 49 states and DC, excluding Alaska. Beazley sells E&O bundled inside MediaTech alongside technology E&O, media and cyber.

Hiscox sells standalone E&O online in 49 states and Washington, D.C.; Beazley includes professional E&O only inside its bundled MediaTech form. ^4,¹

What Are the Key Differences Between Beazley and Hiscox Professional Liability (E&O) Insurance?

Both Name an Insurer, on Different Documents

Beazley's Digital MediaTech Application names Beazley Insurance Company, Inc. on its cover page. ² Hiscox names its underwriter in a different place entirely:

Hiscox's appetite guide and About Hiscox US page name Hiscox Insurance Company Inc. (NAIC 10200) as the underwriter of admitted Hiscox NOW professional-liability policies. ^7,⁶Company-reported. Admitted small-business professional liability as described in company materials; the exact contracting entity for a particular state or channel should be confirmed on the quote.

Beazley's name appears on the blank application form itself; Hiscox's appears in its appetite guide and about-us page rather than the application. ²

A Standalone Direct Sale Versus a Bundled Form

Hiscox sells professional liability directly online to small businesses in 49 states and D.C. (excluding Alaska), as its own named product. ⁴ Beazley instead sells professional E&O only bundled inside MediaTech, alongside technology E&O, media liability, and cyber coverage in one small-business form. ¹

Claims-Made Structure on Both Sides

Hiscox describes professional liability as a claims-made policy: covered only if the claim is made and typically reported while the policy is active. ⁵ Beazley's sample MediaTech form is also claims-made and reported, but adds a purchasable Optional Extension Period that Hiscox's FAQ does not describe for its own product. ³

What Should You Confirm in Beazley and Hiscox Professional Liability (E&O) Insurance Quotes?

Confirm Hiscox Insurance Company Inc. is the specific entity on your declarations, since the exact contracting entity can vary by channel. ⁷
Confirm the specific insurer on your Beazley declarations, since the blank application names Beazley Insurance Company, Inc. generally. ²
Ask whether Hiscox sells professional liability online in your state or requires a specialist broker. ⁴
Ask Beazley for the specific tail pricing and duration of its Optional Extension Period. ³
Ask whether Beazley's declarations set a separate E&O limit or share the Policy Aggregate Limit with media and cyber. ³

Beazley vs Hiscox Professional Liability (E&O) Insurance Compared

Beazley vs Hiscox: Professional Liability (E&O) Insurance: documented features by provider

Criteria	Beazley MediaTech for Small Businesses	Hiscox Professional Liability Insurance
How to Apply	Beazley's MediaTech application asks applicants to describe the professional and technology services they perform, disclose employee count and multi-year US and non-US revenue, and state whether written client contracts include scope-of-work, damages-cap and consequential-damages-disclaimer provisions. ²Company-reported. Application form F00859, 042022 edition, General Information, Revenue Information and Contractual Controls sections; a completed application does not establish acceptance.	Hiscox says eligible buyers can quote and buy professional liability online, with licensed advisors available by phone during posted hours for questions during the process. ⁴Company-reported. Company-described online application; eligibility and binding conditions require confirmation on the actual application.
Coverage Features	The sample MediaTech form covers a Tech & Professional Services Wrongful Act: a negligent act, error, omission, misstatement or unintentional breach of contract in rendering Professional Services, defined as services performed for others for a fee. ³Company-reported. Sample policy form F00731, 022019 edition, insuring agreements and definitions; the issued policy's wording and any endorsements control. The sample form's definition of Professional Services excludes services performed as an accountant, architect, surveyor, health care provider, lawyer, insurance or real estate agent or broker, or civil or structural engineer, so those licensed professions are not covered by this professional E&O trigger. ³Company-reported. Sample policy form F00731, 022019 edition, Professional Services definition; a business in one of these excluded professions would need different coverage even if it buys MediaTech.	Hiscox describes professional liability as a claims-made policy, meaning a claim is covered only if it is made (and typically reported) while the policy is active, rather than an occurrence policy covering incidents regardless of when the claim surfaces. ⁵Company-reported. Product FAQ description; exact triggers, retroactive dates, exclusions and wording are set by the issued policy.
Role in This Line	Beazley sells professional errors and omissions coverage bundled inside MediaTech, a single small-business form that also includes technology E&O, media liability and cyber coverage. It is not sold as a standalone professional-liability policy for this segment. ¹Company-reported. US small-business MediaTech product page; does not address any larger-account professional liability program Beazley may write separately.	Hiscox Inc., a licensed insurance intermediary, sells professional liability (errors and omissions) coverage directly online to small businesses as part of its Hiscox NOW admitted small-business catalogue. ^6,⁴Company-reported. Company-stated online small-business channel.
Issuing Insurer	Beazley's posted Digital MediaTech Application names Beazley Insurance Company, Inc. as the insurer on its cover page. The actual issuing entity for a given policy is confirmed on the quote and declarations, not the blank application. ²Company-reported. Application form F00859, 042022 edition; not a regulator record and not evidence of the entity for every state or route.	Hiscox's appetite guide and About Hiscox US page name Hiscox Insurance Company Inc. (NAIC 10200) as the underwriter of admitted Hiscox NOW professional-liability policies. ^7,⁶Company-reported. Admitted small-business professional liability as described in company materials; the exact contracting entity for a particular state or channel should be confirmed on the quote.
Claims Support	Beazley says its cyber and tech claims team, including experienced litigators, has handled thousands of E&O claims, which it describes as including implementation errors alongside software failures and IP disputes. ¹Company-reported. MediaTech product page claims paragraph; outcome and volume figures are Beazley's own description and not independently verified.	A professional-liability FAQ tells current customers that the claims phone line is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, separate from the general claims-center hours listed elsewhere on the Hiscox site. ⁵Company-reported. Company-described claims-reporting availability for this product's FAQ; does not establish claim outcomes or turnaround time.