Bill Would Provide Another Insurance Option

April 5, 2023

Measure would expand workers comp in Pennsylvania

  • The State Workers’ Insurance Fund to sell health insurance would give Pennsylvanians another more affordable insurance option, according to state Rep. Robert Freeman.
  • The State Workers’ Insurance Fund within the Department of Labor and Industry was established to provide a workers’ compensation program for Pennsylvania businesses that could not access workers’ compensation insurance in the private sector.
  • It is currently permitted to sell workers’ compensation insurance only. Freeman’s bill would expand SWIF offerings to include health insurance, which individuals or businesses could purchase for their employees.
  • There would be no tax dollars used to subsidize the public option because the offering would be paid for with premiums to health care subscribers and a possible loan from the SWIF Fund if needed, which would be paid back.
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Court dismisses workers comp case

  • A judge has dismissed a lawsuit filed by an employee of Catholic Charities of Omaha
  • The woman claimed she suffered physical and emotional injuries during an active shooter drill involving actors smeared in fake blood and a man firing blanks from a semiautomatic handgun.
  • Douglas County District Court Judge Timothy Burns ruled that Workers Compensation Court should decide Sandra Lopez’s claims against Catholic Charities over the drill last year at the organization’s headquarters.
  • Catholic Charities sought to have the lawsuit dismissed, contending it should be decided in the Workers Compensation Court, which has jurisdiction over accidental work-related injuries.
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Average workers comp for back injuries

  • People who sustain back injuries on the job can expect a wide array of payments from the workers comp system.
  • A survey revealed the average settlement comes in between $20,000 and $25,000 for workers’ comp back injury claims.
  • Data from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration estimates back injury claims cost an average of $40,000 to $80,000 including medical bills, wage loss benefits and more.
  • The National Council of Compensation Insurance reported that average workers’ comp settlements were valued at $37,000 for low back injuries and $33,000 for claims involving upper back injuries.
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Workers comp insurers see workplace violence rising

  • New data revealed a 25-per-cent increase in workplace claims related to violence in the past five years, according to workers comp insurer WorkSafeBC.
  • WorkSafeBC counted 2,868 accepted workplace violence claims in 2022, 25% more than the 2,292 accepted in 2018.
  • The majority of claims come from the healthcare and social services sectors.
  • WorkSafeBC recommends employers develop policies, regularly conduct risk assessments, and update their violence prevention program annually, as well as provide physical barriers, lighting, and public visibility in the workplace.
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