Near the end of 2020, New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy signed Senate Bill 2380 into law, establishing that essential workers’ contraction of COVID-19 during the Public Health Emergency is considered work-related and fully compensable for the purposes of workers’ compensation. This law applies to any individuals who contract COVID-19 while working as essential employees at a workplace other than their own residence. New Jersey is the first state to enact this type of legislation; however, as essential workers continue serving their communities and putting themselves at risk, other states are likely to follow the trend.
As a result of the new legislation, hospital billing departments must bill the workers’ compensation plans of essential workers, rather than their health insurance. Since the law is retroactive back to March 9, 2020, many facilities are in the process of implementing an intensive three-step process for admitting new patients and reviewing past claims:
1. Establish key questions in the admission/registration departments. Examples include:3. Establish a procedure for accounts that qualify in #2 by:
Reviewing paid claims and establishing new processes can be time-intensive, requiring excessive labor from your team. If your RCM staff is stretched too thin, reach out to our experts.