Pennsylvania workers’ comp insurance provides lost income to and covers medical expenses, expenses related to medicine, and rehabilitation costs for employees and subcontractors who have suffered injuries on the job.
On the other hand, Pennsylvania workers’ comp alleviates the costs that fall on employers when their employees pursue litigation, preventing them from suffering serious financial losses. This article discusses the fundamentals of Pennsylvania workers’ comp.
Pennsylvania Workers’ Comp Requirements
In Pennsylvania, business entities with employees must buy workers’ compensation insurance. Contrarily, business entities with no employees can exclude coverage on themselves.
Pennsylvania Workers Compensation Verification
The state of Pennsylvania provides free online tools for verifying workers’ compensation insurance coverage. Employees can search by business name; the results will show the business name and address if the business has workers’ compensation insurance.
What Does Pennsylvania Workers’ Compensation Insurance Cover?
Pennsylvania workers’ comp coverage includes the following:
1: Workers’ Medical Expenses
Pennsylvania workers’ compensation insurance covers medical expenses related to injuries sustained on the job. These include ER visits, required medical prescriptions, and surgeries. Medical coverage expenses include long-term expenses, such as rehabilitation and physical therapy.
2: Lost Or Delayed Wages
Many employers face the challenge of paying employees who miss time from work because they are too injured to work. Pennsylvania workers’ compensation insurance replaces employees’ lost wages if they cannot perform their job-related duties due to work-related injuries. These wage loss benefits allow employees to continue paying their living expenses while they recover.
3: Long and Short Term Disabilities
Work-related injuries can cause temporary or permanent disability. Pennsylvania workers’ comp covers employees’ temporary or permanent treatment costs and replaces lost income through disability benefits.
4: Occupational Illnesses Workers Might Face
Some work environments can put the health of their employees at risk. Work environments with radiation, excessive noise, extreme temperatures, and poor air quality can harm employees, causing cancer, hearing loss, and respiratory illnesses, among other problems.
Pennsylvania workers’ compensation insurance covers the treatment cost of work-related illnesses, helping employees recover from illnesses without suffering significant financial loss.
5: Worker Funeral Expenses
If an employee succumbs to injuries, Pennsylvania workers’ compensation insurance covers funeral expenses and provides cover to the employee’s family.
Workers’ Compensation Exemptions in Pennsylvania
Some businesses, employees, and employment categories in Pennsylvania are exempt from workers’ compensation insurance. These include:
Types of Businesses and Business Owners
- Partners;
- Sole proprietors;
- Business owners;
- Executives and managing members;
- Members of limited liability companies;
- Corporate officers who own a company stake above 10 percent.
Classifications of Employees
- Independent contractors;
- Volunteers and unpaid interns;
- Employees with few work hours;
- Workers with low annual earnings;
- Employees who work a few days per year;
- Casual workers with irregular schedules.
Get Workers’ Compensation Insurance Today Workers’ compensation insurance makes good financial sense for employers and employees. It alleviates the costs that fall on employers when their employees are injured on the job, provides lost wages, and covers medical expenses, short- and long-term disability, occupational illnesses, and funeral expenses for employees with work-related injuries. If you have not yet bought workers’ compensation insurance, do so today and protect your and your employees’ finances.
