California COVID-19 workers’ comp claims mostly in health care
- More than half of all reported COVID-19 indemnity claims in California continue to arise from workers in the healthcare sector, according to the Workers’ Compensation Insurance Rating Bureau.
- As the economy has reopened – and following the Omicron surge – COVID-19 claims continue to be a modest share of all indemnity claims.
- Over one-half of all reported COVID-19 indemnity claims continue to arise from workers in the healthcare sector.
- COVID-19 claims filed this year are emerging as less severe than those from Accident Year 2020 partly because of a higher share of claims with incurred indemnity but no incurred medical loss.
A decision rendered on Longshore and Harbor Workers’ Compensation Act
- A Circuit Court Judge in Michigan denied a third party involved in an attempt to purchase structured settlement payment rights that originated from a Longshore and Harbor Workers’ Compensation Act (LHWCA) settlement.
- The owner and issuer of the funding annuity opposed the factoring company’s attempt.
- This was the first time the issue had been litigated in Michigan state court.
- The latest opinion should assist annuity owners and issuers when enforcing the premise that LHWCA are simply not to be factored in Michigan and other states
Firefighters struggling with cancer claims
- North Carolina passed a pilot Firefighter Cancer Benefit Program in 2021 for active firefighters diagnosed after Jan. 1, 2022.
- So far this year, 73 have applied, expensing $1,011,265 in a lump sum and medical reimbursements for 39 North Carolina firefighters.
- North Carolina firefighters have been denied occupational cancer benefits for the past two decades before the Firefighter Cancer Benefit Program was launched.
- However, some claims are still being denied and the World Health Organization is encouraging firefighters to keep fighting for benefits.
Workers have a voice in safety concerns
- Workers, union representatives, and labor organizers from various industries OSHA for the first-of-its-kind summit on workplace safety.
- The so-called Workers’ Voice Summit focused on health and safety problems affecting workers and the need to have a better dialogue to identify workplace problems and find solutions.
- The attendees also discussed the benefits of advancing equity and making the department more accessible to underserved workers and their advocates.
- The workers were able to speak to various officials about the specific safety and health concerns impacting workers in their respective industries and urged officials to consider their concerns in policy-making decisions.