Responding to Our Members' Needs
All over Oregon, cities and counties have been affected by COVID-19. According to statistics from the Oregon Health Authority, 1,616 Oregonians lost their lives in 2020.
While urban areas have had more cases and deaths, COVID-19 has impacted nearly every community, large and small.
The year also brought a significant change in how we live our daily lives. With many schools closed, parents became stay-at-home teachers. Even something as routine as how we buy groceries was changed to protect people from the pandemic.
Many of Oregon’s public employees became remote workers, staying home to stay safe. However, first responders and others bravely continued serving their communities on the front line. Together, we helped keep not only city and county employees safe and healthy, but also their families.
Workers’ Compensation Claims Down CIS’ Workers’ Compensation program saw fewer claims in 2020 compared to 2019. The downturn coincided with the Governor’s work from home order in March 2020.
Even with the decrease in claims, COVID-19 did have an impact on some public employees in Oregon. In 2020, about 8% of workers’ compensation claims were COVID-related. Fortunately, none of these dedicated public employees saw their infection progress to the point of needing hospitalization care.
CIS Benefits Claims for 2020 For CIS Benefits, claims have also been lower overall, but rose in some areas.
During calendar year 2020, COVID-19 claims accounted for 2% of all medical claims. Fortunately, none of the 23,000 lives covered under CIS benefits medical plans were lost to COVID-19. According to CIS Benefits Deputy Director Mike Beyrouty, “At the beginning of the pandemic people were postponing non-urgent medical procedures and more people used Regence’s Telehealth. From the start of the pandemic in March, there was a sharp drop in elective medical procedures. We expect the increased use of telehealth to continue, even after the pandemic.”
COVID-19 Resources Pages Created for CIS Members
When the coronavirus led to dramatic changes in how we work, CIS immediately provided a general Coronavirus Resources page, and for workers' compensation specific information, a WC Coronavirus Resources page.
The Coronavirus Resources page gave members guidance on issues ranging from reopening parks and outdoor recreation areas to logistical guidance for reopening government buildings. The page also highlighted how the federal government protected local governments from COVID-19 liability exposures through the PREP Act. Even worksite risk-management tips and guidance for shelters were included.
Below are some examples of items that helped CIS members in 2020:
CIS Sample COVID-19 Leave Policy
CIS COVID-19 Employment-Related Best Practices
CIS COVID-19 Worksite Recommendations
The Coronavirus Resources page continues to be updated, so visit today!
CIS Board Added $100,000 Defense Coverage for COVID-19 Claims
The year had commercial carriers scrambling to clarify that communicable diseases like coronavirus were excluded from general liability coverage. Our reinsurers implemented the same coverage exclusions.
At the request of our reinsurer, CIS’ Board adopted a communicable disease exclusion but chose to add $100,000 of communicable disease defense coverage in the event either a city or county faced litigation regarding COVID-19.