Employees get injured on the job. It’s one of the reasons VRSA was created 45 years ago. Last year, we received more than 3,500 workers’ compensation claims. When an employee is injured on the job, the last thing they want is to worry about expenses not covered under the Virginia Workers’ Compensation Act. Unfortunately, some expenses are not covered under the Act which could become costly out-of-pocket expenses for your employees.
To ease members’ worries, in 2022 VRSA introduced the Workers’ Compensation Plus program. This option provides coverage for expenses not covered under the act, as well as the costs of non-compensable or exposure-only bloodborne pathogen testing.
The coverage was recently used by the Albemarle Charlottesville Regional Jail, where an employee was struck by an inmate, resulting in damage to his eyeglasses.
“We were going to pay out of pocket,” said Human Resources Manager Felicia Morris. “We reached out to the claims rep to see if we had coverage to replace glasses and he said yes you do.”
“Glasses can be expensive out of pocket, and can set an employee back, so any way you can help an employee out and boost morale do it,” said Morris.
Covering these costs through Workers’ Compensation Plus is one way to be responsive to injured employees and their concerns. Members often choose to cover these expenses to boost morale and retain employees.
WC Plus offers reimbursement for:
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Costs associated with adapting the home for injured workers above the amount provided by the VWCA.
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Counseling services to immediate family members and co-workers.
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Expenses incurred by a primary caregiver during an employee’s inpatient stay.
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Personal belongings damaged as a result of a compensable claim, such as eyeglasses, jewelry, clothing, etc.
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Expenses for non-compensable bloodborne pathogen exposure testing.
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Expenses related to boarding pets.
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Funeral and burial-related expenses
As a truly member-owned and governed risk pool, we are committed to providing the broadest coverages tailored to our members’ needs, such as WC Plus. With an average claims acceptance rate of 84 percent, we are there to help injured employees when they need us.
Workers’ Compensation Plus is an optional coverage that can be added to your entity’s policy at any time. To learn more about adding this coverage or any coverages we provide, please contact a coverage specialist at msrs@vsra.us or 800-963-6800.