FLORIDA RANKS HIGH IN VIRUS WORKERS ’ COMP CLAIMS
By Christine Sexton
TALLAHASSEE --- A new report shows that Florida is near the top nationally in the rate of COVID-19-related workers ’ compensation insurance medical claims filed in the first six months of 2020 .
Florida , along with Alaska , Colorado , Connecticut and New Jersey , had more than 300 COVID-19-related workers ’ compensation claims for every 100,000 active claims , according to a report released by the National Council on Compensation Insurance . A claim is considered active if an injured worker has received at least one medical encounter during the period .
On average , there were about 200 COVID- 19-related claims nationally for every 100,000 active claims . The report doesn ’ t address why some states have more COVID-19-related claims than others .
The organization known as NCCI , which makes rate filings for the workers ’ compensation insurance industry , reviewed all workers ’ compensation medical claims reported to a “ medical data call .” NCCI undertook the analysis as a way to better understand how COVID-19 is impacting the workers ’ compensation system .
The report , released Monday , examines claims data for the first six months of 2020 and compares it with past years .
About 1,200 COVID-19 medical claims were filed during the first six months of the year . Seventy percent of those claims were filed by women , which according to NCCI , is “ a larger share of the COVID-19 medical claims than in the general ( workers ’ compensation ) population .”
The report ’ s authors hypothesized that women represent the majority of COVID-19 medical claims because women comprise 85 percent of the nation ’ s nursing , home health care and nursing aide workforces .
The report presents the claims data information in the aggregate only . But NCCI plans on including state-specific medical claims information beginning next year , according to spokeswoman Cristine Pike .
NCCI ” s review showed that the majority of workers filing COVID-19-related claims in the first six months of the year did not require hospitalization . Just 20 [ percent
8 DITCHMEN • DECEMBER 2020