On Monday, the Minnesota House of Representatives extended the law for another year to qualify for workers’ accident compensation benefits if frontline healthcare workers and first responders test positive for COVID-19. Approved the bill.
The existing Minnesota COVID-19 estimation method expired on 31 December 2021. DFL-St. Bill from Congressman Dan Wolgamot. The cloud will extend it until May 2023, with the policy taking effect retroactively from January 1, 2022.
The House Labor Relations Commission approved Bill 8-5 in line with party policy. The Republican Party argued that the proposal should be submitted, citing opposition from state labor commissioners and ongoing work by the council whose mission is to make recommendations for workers’ accident compensation policies.
“In the past month, we have asked more than 183,000 public security, medical and childcare workers to serve the community at the forefront of this pandemic without the guarantee that they will be compensated if they become infected with COVID-19. “It was,” said Wolgamott. Committee member. “I don’t think this is acceptable.”
More than 20,000 workers have been benefiting under this estimate since it was enacted in April 2020, according to Wolgamot. Workers covered by this policy, such as firefighters, police officers, paradomics, healthcare professionals, and some childcare providers, do not need to prove that they have caught the virus at work in order to accept the claim.
Wolgamot’s proposal was strongly criticized by some committee members and witnesses who stated that they supported the bill’s goals but had some reservations about the process.
Roslyn Robertson, Commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry, urged lawmakers to wait until the state’s Workers’ Accident Compensation Advisory Board finalizes the state legislature’s policy recommendations. State law requires a council of business leaders, worker representatives, and parliamentarians to consider proposed changes to the workers’ accident compensation policy.
The council has not yet reached an agreement on the possibility of an estimated extension, but will revisit the discussion at a meeting on Tuesday, Robertson said. Tuesday is also the deadline for Congress to submit recommendations to Congress.
“I’m confident we’ll reach an agreement,” Robertson said. “I urge the Commission to respect the integrity of the Council and allow it to complete its work before proceeding with other policies.”
Mr. Wolgamot said he has promised to work with the council. When drafting the bill, Mr. Wolgamot said he proceeded with the proposal because the council was told that it would not meet again until February 9.
Workers’ Accident Compensation Insurance Company Opposition to similar COVID-19 estimation policy Nationwide. Aaron Cocking, president and chief executive officer of the Minnesota Insurance Federation, told the Commission that he was opposed to the extension bill and was concerned that the retroactive clause would not be substantiated in court.
He also said that the COVID-19 presumption made sense in the early days of a pandemic, where little was known about viral infections. Comparing the prevalence of COVID-19 with colds and the flu, Cocking says, many infectious diseases are found to be caused by community spread.
“(COVID-19) has become so common that everyone is at risk of getting it,” Cocking said. “Workers’ accident compensation did not, and should not, replace health insurance and was never intended.”
