April 13, 2020
To: Deans, Directors and Department Heads
From: Office of Claims Management and Worker’s Compensation.
As the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic continues to affect our operations, we anticipate there may be COVID-19 related Workers’ Compensation claims. The following is a brief summary of employee categories that may be eligible for COVID-19 related Worker’s Compensation coverage under the Occupational Disease section of the Act.
- Physicians, nurses, technicians, and anyone who provides direct patient care may be eligible if direct exposure to the virus is proven.
- All other employees working in a health care facility may be eligible, if direct exposure to the virus while performing job-related duties is established.
- First visits will be paid for employees working in a patient-care facility. Subsequent bills will be paid upon determination that contamination was work-related.
Non-Health Care: This includes all employees.
- In most cases, non-health care employees are not covered by the IL Workers’ Compensation Occupational Disease Act. For the claim to be accepted, the employee must show that their only exposure occurred at work and not the general population. The work environment had to have placed them at a greater risk than that of the general population. In these cases, workers’ compensation would not be paid unless the exposure was determined to be work related.
Questions regarding Workers’ Compensation claims should be directed to Workers' Compensation and Claims Management at WorkComp@uillinois.edu or 217-333-1080.