We offer the following interim guidance based on what we currently know about COVID-19 and the related regulatory requirements. Please check back to this page regularly for updated information related to COVID-19 issues. This guidance may change without prior notice and is not intended to be a warranty of the issues discussed.
State-Specific COVID-19 Guidance
COVID Claims Guidance
Will workers’ compensation coverage apply if one of my employees contracts the virus?
Before WCF Insurance can determine whether a specific claim is compensable, we must conduct a thorough investigation of the facts and a review of the state of the disease at the time and place of the alleged exposure. Medical evidence is key to determining compensability in any occupational-disease claim and, in the case of COVID-19, that evidence must include the most up-to-date epidemiological information.
On March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a pandemic, meaning that it is now present throughout most of the world. As the disease spreads and more community cases emerge, the chances decrease that any given case would be compensable, as illnesses that result from exposure that is common to the general public are typically excluded from workers’ compensation coverage.
Nevertheless, there are jurisdiction-specific standards that influence compensability, including several laws that have been passed or modified recently in direct response to this pandemic. If any of your employees test positive for COVID-19, please let WCF know as soon as possible. We can help you determine whether you need to file a claim. WCF has established a taskforce of medical, legal, and claims experts that will carefully review each claim we receive. If you have questions, please email claimsqa@wcf.com.
We appreciate your business and are committed to working with you during these difficult times. We will continue to evaluate other ways to support you, our policyholders, for the duration of this situation. Be careful out there.