Resources

Client Alerts, News Articles, Blog Posts, & Multimedia

Everything you need to know about BMD and the industry.

Workers’ Compensation Claims and COVID-19

Client Alert

Can one of my employees file a workers’ compensation claim if they claim that they contracted coronavirus at work?

We get that question a lot. Yes, they can, but you should oppose any application for coverage if you receive one.

Generally, the claim will not be granted unless the employee has a job that poses a special hazard or risk of exposure to the virus and the employee can prove that he or she contracted the virus at work.

Under Ohio law, compensable occupational diseases are those diseases that arise from employment activity. Because coronavirus can be contracted in a variety of different ways outside the workplace, it is presumed that the illness was contracted outside of work. Thus, it is very difficult for an employee tie his or her illness to the workplace.

Some states, such as Minnesota and California, have created a rebuttable presumption in favor of first responders and healthcare workers. This presumption assumes that these workers contracted COVID-19 at work unless their employer can prove that they contracted it outside of work.

As of May 29, 2020, seven bills have been introduced in the Ohio General Assembly proposing some version of the rebuttable presumption in favor of first responders (police officers, firefighters and EMT’s), corrections officers, nursing home workers, healthcare workers, retail food establishment workers, food processing establishment workers. 

One bill, H.B. 573, seeks the presumption for any employee required by their employer to work outside of their home during the state-declared public health emergency. This is likely a bridge too far for the Ohio General Assembly.

The bill closest to becoming law is H.B. 606.  This bill passed the Ohio House on May 28, 2020 and will now move on to the Ohio Senate. H.B. 606 would create a rebuttable presumption that the following workers are eligible for workers’ compensation if they contract COVID-19 between March 9, 2020 and December 31, 2020:

  • peace officers (police department employees, housing authority officers, state university law enforcement, public safety officers, ODNR law enforcement, and others);
  • firefighters (paid or volunteer);
  • emergency medical workers (paid or volunteer first responders, technicians and paramedics);
  • corrections officers (adult and juvenile);
  • employees of retail food establishments (any employer that uses its premises, in whole or in part, to store, process, prepare, manufacture, or otherwise hold or handle food for retail sale to the ultimate consumer – yes, this would include food trucks); and
  • employees of food processing establishments (any employer that that uses its premises, in whole or in part, to process, package, manufacture or otherwise hold or handle for distribution to another location or for sale at wholesale).

For additional information, please contact Adam D. Fuller, adfuller@bmdllc.com or 330.374.6737, or any member of the L+E Team at BMD.


Telehealth Flexibility Updates: HIPAA, DEA, and CMS

The Covid-19 Public Health Emergency (PHE) officially ended on May 11, 2023. But what does that mean for telehealth, a field that expanded exponentially during the PHE? Fortunately, many of the flexibilities will remain intact, at least temporarily. This client alert presents a brief overview of the timelines that providers need to follow, but for a more comprehensive review of telehealth flexibilities and when they will end

WEBINAR SERIES RECAP | Ending the Public Health Emergency + Post-Pandemic Check-Up

Some may take the position that the rest of the country already returned to a new “normal” following the COVID-19 pandemic.  But healthcare providers continue to implement COVID protocols and navigate the ever-changing healthcare regulations at both the federal and state levels.  It is important for healthcare providers to take time for a “Healthcare Check-Up” with the start of 2023 and the ending of the Public Health Emergency (“PHE”).

Sharp Rise in False Claims Act Cases - Navigating the FCA Waters

Recently, on April 18, 2023, the United States Supreme Court heard arguments regarding the FCA’s scienter, or mental state, requirement. To prove violation of the FCA, the statute requires that a defendant “knowingly” file false claims for payment. The term “knowingly” is defined within the statute to mean a person that acts with actual knowledge, deliberate ignorance, or reckless disregard. Circuit courts are split on how to interpret and apply the knowledge element of the FCA, and based on the Supreme Court’s decision, there will be a large impact on healthcare defendants and their businesses as well as anyone who contracts with, or receives money from, a federal program. A broader interpretation of the FCA would unnecessarily target and stifle healthcare, and other businesses, for simple errors in daily operations. This goes against the intended application of the FCA, which was to prevent fraudulent activity.

Areas of Opportunity in Columbus: Highlights from the Columbus Opportunity Summit

On April 27, 2023 Columbus Business First held its annual Columbus Opportunity Summit, bringing together business and economic development leaders to provide an update on how Central Ohio is preparing for expected growth in the coming years, an issue heightened by the arrival of Intel at its 1,000 acre site in Licking County, just outside of Columbus. The site will be home to two new chip factories with room to grow to a total of eight factories and is a $20 Billion investment.

BREAKING: Biden Administration Has Officially Ended the Two Remaining COVID Vaccine Mandates

As of May 1, 2023, the Biden Administration has officially ended the two remaining COVID vaccine mandates: (1) the Federal Contractor Mandate, and (2) the CMS Healthcare Provider Vaccine Mandate.