Creating the coverage entity for the coverable object

The policy line that you created in the previous topic is a coverable. In this topic, you create the Coverage entity for the policy line. The policy line is a coverable, and every Coverable must have at least one associated Coverage entity. Each Coverage entity can have zero or more coverage terms. The Coverage entity defines the coverage terms in a table. The table limits the number and type of coverage terms that you can add to the coverage. The types of coverage terms are:

• Direct
• Choice
  • Option
  • Package
  • Typekey
• Boolean
• String
• Date

In the base configuration, you can define a Coverage entity table with a maximum of:

• Two Direct coverage terms
• Two Option, Package coverage terms
• Two Boolean coverage terms

The base configuration provides no other types. As you add coverages to the product model in Product Designer, the underlying table restricts the number and types of coverage terms that you can add.

The CoveragePattern of a Coverage returns the set of coverage terms used by a particular coverage. Each coverage term of each type added to a coverage requires a dedicated column in the database. As you define the coverage, add as many columns as needed for any coverage term that you foresee being used with the coverable.

You define the coverage patterns for a coverage in Product Designer. Most coverages need coverage terms, such as limits, deductibles, retroactive dates, and so forth. You can examine the coverages and coverage terms in the general liability line by navigating to Policy Lines > General Liability Line > Coverages > Condominiums > Terms. The Condominiums coverage has no coverage terms. Next, select the Employee Benefits Liability > Terms. The Employee Benefits Liability coverage has several coverage terms. While viewing any term, click Add to add m ore coverage terms. The Add Term dialog box enables you to choose from among the coverage term types defined in the table. If the coverage already contains the maximum number of terms of a particular type, the Column list is empty and you cannot add a new term of the selected type.

The number of coverage term columns you define for each coverage term type applies to a single coverage. If needed, you can define a second coverage entity. Normally, you define one coverage entity per coverable.

The following illustration shows the coverages on the Golf Cart line. There are two coverable objects, GolfCartLine and GOCart. Each coverable object has an array of coverages attached to the GolfCartLineCov and GOCartCov coverage entities, respectively.

You define coverage terms directly in the coverage entity. The coverage term definition consists of two column elements, one that defines the coverage term type and one that stores whether the term was available last time PolicyCenter checked availability. The availability column has the same name of the type definition column, followed by Avl. You can define any or all of the following coverage term types in each of your coverage entities: