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WCIRB Releases Cost Evaluation of Conclusive COVID-19 Presumption

The Workers’ Compensation Insurance Rating Bureau of California (WCIRB) released its Cost Evaluation of Potential Conclusive COVID-19 Presumption in California Workers’ Compensation. The evaluation was completed in response to an April 8, 2020 request from the California State Assembly Insurance Committee to assess the impact of a conclusive presumption that COVID-19 claims arising from certain front line workers are presumed to be work-related. Specifically, the WCIRB was requested to provide the cost impact of a conclusive COVID-19 presumption for health care workers, firefighters, EMS and rescue employees, front line law enforcement officers and other essential critical infrastructure (ECI) employees.

The WCIRB estimates that the annual cost of COVID-19 claims on ECI workers under a conclusive presumption ranges from $2.2 billion to $33.6 billion with an approximate mid-range estimate of $11.2 billion, or 61 percent of the annual estimated cost of the total workers’ compensation system prior to the impact of the pandemic. The WCIRB noted that in developing this estimate it did not include a provision for non-ECI workers who may file a compensable workers’ compensation COVID-19 claim, nor did it adjust for the COVID-19 claims of ECI workers that may be compensable in the absence of a conclusive presumption.

The full study is available in the Research section of the WCIRB website or by clicking the following link:

WCIRB Research Forum Webinar

The WCIRB will host a free webinar to discuss the Cost Evaluation of Potential Conclusive COVID-19 Presumption in California Workers’ Compensation. Click on the registration link below to sign up.

COVID-19 Claims – Cost Evaluation of Potential Conclusive COVID-19 Presumption in California Workers’ Compensation
Thursday, April 23, 2020, 10:00 – 11:00 AM PT
Presenters:

  • Dave Bellusci, WCIRB Executive Vice President and Chief Actuary
  • Laura Carstensen, WCIRB Vice President, Actuarial Research
  • Tony Milano, WCIRB Vice President, Actuarial Services
  • Julia Zhang, PhD, WCIRB Managing Director, Medical Analytics

REGISTER NOW

For those unable to attend the live webinar, a recording will be posted in the Research section of the WCIRB website following the event.

April 20, 2020