Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, Inc. has developed a six step guide to help employers navigate through the reporting of COVID-19 cases to their insurance carriers per California Senate Bill 1159 (SB 1159). The document will lead you through specific employee scenarios that will determine if you should report the claim.
California Governor Newsom signed SB 1159 into law September 17, 2020 and it is having several impacts on workers’ compensation and the presumption of the claim. These rules will continue, unless modified, until January 2023.
If the employer has fewer than 100 employees at a specific location and 4 employees test positive at that location, or if the employer has more than 100 employees and 4% of their total employees test positive, during a 14-day period at an employer’s specific location, the COVID-19 case is presumed to be work-related. Thus, the 4/4/14 rule. When in doubt, call your workers’ compensation carrier and discuss the specific situation. They will help you determine whether or not it is a workers’ compensation claim.
To learn more about the elements of SB 1159, please listen to a recent StudioOne™ Safety and Risk Management Network podcast episode, in which President of Rancho Mesa, Dave Garcia, and President of Berkshire Hathaway Homestate Companies, discuss the bill’s impact on the workers’ compensation market.