The number of COVID-19 workers’ compensation claims in California has seen a steady climb, reaching a total of 31,612 from when the pandemic started until the end of July, according to the latest figures from the Division of Workers’ Compensation.
In July, 9,515 California workers filed COVID-19 workers’ compensation claims, as well as 74 coronavirus-related worker deaths ― bringing the total to 140 fatalities. The total claims account for 10% of all claims filed between January and July, despite the first claims being filed only in March.
These numbers are fluid and are certain to grow as more claims are filed after the fact, as there are often time lags in claims filings.
For example:
May claims ― As of July 6, there were 3,889 claims, but as of Aug. 10 the number had risen to 4,606.
June claims ― As of July 6, there were 4,438 COVID-19 workers’ comp claims. But as of Aug. 10, that figure for June claims had more than doubled to 10,528.
Based on these claims development stats, the California Workers’ Compensation Institute projects there could ultimately be 29,354 COVID-19 claims with July injury dates and 56,082 COVID-19 claims with January through July injury dates.
Who is filing claims?
The top five sectors reporting COVID-19 workers’ compensation claims during the first seven months of the year are:
- Health care workers (40% of all claims)
- Public safety/government workers (6%)
- Retail workers (8%)
- Manufacturing (7%)
- Transportation (5%).
Handling workers’ comp claims
In early May, Governor Gavin Newsom signed an executive order extending workers’ compensation benefits to California employees who contract COVID-19 while working outside of their homes during the state’s stay-at-home order.
To qualify for the presumption, all of the following conditions must be met:
- The worker must test positive for or be diagnosed with COVID-19 within 14 days after a day they worked at your jobsite at your direction.
- The day they worked at your jobsite was on or after March 19.
- Your jobsite is not their home or residence.
- If your worker is diagnosed with COVID-19, the diagnosis was done by a medical doctor and confirmed by a positive test for COVID-19 within 30 days of the date of the diagnosis.
Even when an employee is presumed to have become ill from COVID-19 at work, the employer may dispute that conclusion. In such a case, however, you bear the burden of proving that the injury or illness did not occur at work.
The executive order does not apply to COVID-19-related claims, regardless of date of injury, that were accepted by the claims administrator as compensable prior to May 6.
All of the typical workers’ compensation benefits apply:
Medical care ― Reasonable and necessary medical treatment paid for by your employer to help you recover from an injury or illness caused by work.
Temporary disability benefits ― Payments if you lose wages because your injury prevents you from doing your usual job while recovering.
Permanent disability benefits ― Payments if you don’t recover completely.
Supplemental job displacement benefits ― Vouchers to help pay for retraining or skill enhancement if you don’t recover completely and don’t return to work for your employer.
Death benefits – Payments to your spouse, children or other dependents if you die from a job injury or illness.
The takeaway
If you have an employee who is working on site and who tests positive for COVID-19, you should let them know about their rights to file for workers’ compensation if they miss work and/or need treatment.
The state’s insurance commissioner has approved new rules that bar insurers from using any COVID-19 claims against your experience modifier (X-Mod), so it won’t hurt your workers’ compensation experience if a worker files a claim.