California Workers Comp Program & COVID

The California Governor is proposing an adjustment to the state’s Worker’s Compensation regulations that would mandate that all employees working outside of the home who contract COVID-19 during the shelter in place order will automatically be covered by worker’s compensation. Under the proposed legislation, employers would not be able to review or rebut any claims. The proposed language can be found in the CA Assembly Bill 662 amendments. This will not affect companies with self-insured programs, only programs obtained from an insurance company. The order is retroactive to March 19, 2020. New Jersey has similar legislation filed, and it is rumored that other states may also introduce similar legislation.