Calif. health care presumption bill for COVID-19 fails

A bill that would have extended past 2023 California’s rebuttable presumption for health care workers who contract COVID-19 at work was placed in the state Senate’s inactive file Thursday.

Existing law, until Jan. 1, 2023, creates a rebuttable presumption of injury for various employees, including an employee who works at a health facility, as defined, to include an illness or death resulting from COVID-19, if specified circumstances apply.

S.B. 213 bill would have permanently added COVID-19 to that existing definition of injury for hospital employees who provides direct patient care in an acute care hospital; a presumption that already includes infectious diseases, cancer, musculoskeletal injuries, post-traumatic stress disorder, and respiratory diseases.

More insurance and workers compensation news on the coronavirus crisis here.