States of Confusion: Workers Comp Extraterritorial Issues

Employees who work across state lines raise potentially serious workers comp issues because of the mishmash of state laws.|

Maureen Gallagher

April 2, 2014

As states passed workers compensation laws, each state established its own system. This resulted in a mishmash of laws, benefits, compensability and eligibility from state to state. Courts have ruled that a state has the right to apply its own workers compensation rules and standards to each case. Hence, most states simply don’t care what other states allow, only what is required under their workers compensation laws. There is little meaningful cooperation or coordination among states. Challenges for agents, employers, insurance companies and adjusters include understanding:

When coverage is required in jurisdictions where the employer has operations or employees working, living or traveling in or through.

How coverage is provided for various jurisdictions.

What jurisdictional benefits an employee can collect.

The policy The two items that reference what states are insured under a workers compensation policy are 3.A. and 3.C. on the information page. (Federal coverage can only be added by endorsement.) 3.A. is fairly simple. The insurance agent for the employer instructs the insurance carrier to list the states where the employer operates when the policy goes into effect or is renewed. 3.C. is a safety net – at least most of the time. That item lists states where an employer expects it may have employees traveling to or through or working in. If an employer begins work in any state listed in 3.C. after the effective date of the policy, all provisions of the policy apply as though the state were listed in 3.A. Notice must be given “at once” if work begins in any state listed in 3.C., although “at once” is not defined in the policy. If the employer has work in any state listed in 3.C. on the effective date of the policy, coverage will not be afforded for that state unless the carrier is notified within 30 days. It should be noted the insurance policy does not determine what law applies at the time of injury. The law determines what is payable. In addition, note that the workers compensation policy does not apply to Ohio, North Dakota, Washington and Wyoming, “monopolistic” states where coverage may only be purchased from the state. Although larger employers may self-insure in Ohio and Washington (but not North Dakota or Wyoming), no private insurance carrier can write workers compensation coverage for an employer. It would seem the safe bet is to add all states except monopolistic states to 3.A. However, most underwriters are unwilling to do this or even add the ideal wording for 3.C.: “All states, U.S. territories and possessions except Washington, Wyoming, North Dakota, Ohio, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands and states designated in Item 3.A. of this Information Page.” The reason for the underwriters’ unwillingness varies. Common reasons underwriters provide include: Licensing issue The insurer is not licensed in all states. Many regional insurers are only licensed in a handful of states while other carriers may only be licensed in one state…often for strategic reasons. Carriers frequently assert it is impossible — and possibly illegal — to list a state they are not licensed in (even though policies contain wording whose clear intent is to allow carriers to pay benefits in states where they are not licensed). Underwriting considerations The insurance carrier may not want to provide insurance in certain states it considers more challenging from a workers compensation standpoint or because carriers do not want to write in states where they have little or no claims adjusting experience, established provider networks and knowledge of the nuances of the law. Underwriters’ lack of awareness or knowledge Underwriters are not claims adjusters and do not always have a full understanding of workers compensation's jurisdictional complexity and the employer's risk (no coverage) and agents' risk (errors and omission claims) for not securing coverage for all states with potential exposure. Agents are often told the employer does not need coverage in the state in which the agent is requesting coverage — which the home or primary state benefits will pay. However, the chance that an employee will be successful in securing another state’s benefits — even if the employee is only there temporarily — is just too much of a risk. Physical location Carrier underwriters frequently cite the “physical location” — actually needing an address — as a roadblock to adding a state to 3.A. The National Council for Compensation Insurance (NCCI) has rules on this issue. Most states that follow NCCI rules allow entry of “no business location” — but not all. States that follow NCCI rules (including the independent bureaus like Texas) will often modify some rules. Arizona, Kentucky, Montana and Texas do not allow “no business location.” It is a regulatory reporting issue. Possible solutions to secure 3.A. coverage include:

Providing an entry of “Any Street, Any Town” or “No Specific Location, Any City” for the state. Many carriers will use this.
Using an employee’s home address in the state if there is an employee working from home there.
Using the agent/brokers address if they have an office there.

Compliance Only Texas and New Jersey have workers compensation laws that are elective. New Jersey employers still, in effect, cannot go without workers compensation insurance. In Texas, any employer can “unsubscribe” to the workers compensation system and “go bare” and be subject to the tort system. All other states require employers to purchase workers compensation insurance for their employees or qualify for self-insurance. Which benefits apply? If an employer has employees traveling on a limited basis from their home states, the headquarters state may have established a time limit on coverage for out-of-state injuries. The most common limit is six months. This may be written into the statute or may be silent, but over time case law has made determinations. In other words, if an employee usually worked in Michigan but spent three months working on assignment in Kentucky and was injured in Kentucky, the employee would most likely still be eligible for Michigan benefits. In states with a timeline, an employee working in another state for more than the designated duration is no longer entitled to benefits in the home state, but the employee is probably entitled to the compensation in the state in which he or she is currently working. One of the most important factors is that an employee injured outside of his state of residence may have selection of remedies (benefits) if he lives in one state and works in another. The Michigan employee injured in Kentucky may want Kentucky benefits because Kentucky has lifetime medical and Michigan does not. Or, an employee may have been injured on the way to work, and the state where she was injured does not allow for workers compensation in this circumstance even though this would be a compensable injury in the employee’s headquarters state. Perhaps there is a disqualification in one state because of, for example, an employee’s intoxication that would not be a disqualifier in another state. In addition, the maximum amount of income benefits available to employees varies considerably from state to state. Piggybacking benefits Piggybacking occurs when an employee files in one state and then in another state where he qualifies for additional benefits. What is allowed in additional payments will depend on the circumstances of the claim and the states involved. This issue has become particularly dangerous for employers that have not arranged coverage in other states because they are unaware there is an exposure there. The employer then becomes liable for the benefits due in the uninsured state, including all costs to adjust and defend the claim if litigated. Typically, if an employee collects benefits in one state and is successful in perfecting a claim in another state with higher benefits, the benefits collected in the first state are offset from the second state’s benefits payment. For example, assume an employee collects $10,000 from Indiana then files in Illinois, which grants $18,000. Only the difference between $18,000 and $10,000, or an additional $8,000, would be paid. Employers with employees in both "wage-loss" and "impairment" states face an additional challenge: Employees could qualify for both states' benefits with no offsets. Most states don’t care what other states have allowed, only what is required under their laws. If the employee collected under another state’s law but qualifies in our state for additional benefits, well, so be it. If an employee has traveled to, through or lived or worked in another state to create a “substantial” relationship with the state, there is a very good chance he or she will be granted workers compensation benefits in that state. State statutes, case law, common law and tests State statutes, case law or the common law in a jurisdiction may influence what benefits an employee may collect. Various criteria that may apply include:

State of hire
State of residence
State of primary employment
State of pay
State of injury
State in agreement between employer and employee (unique to Ohio, and only Ohio and Indiana recognize the agreement)

The “WALSH” test is a good guide to questions to ask, in order of importance: W Worked - Where did the employee work most of the time? A Accident – Where did the accident occur? L Lived – Where is the employee’s home? S Salaried – Where is the employee getting paid from? H Hired – Where was the contract of hire initiated? Just about all jurisdictions indicate an employee is entitled to the benefits of their state if the employee was working principally localized in the state, was working under a contract of hire made in the state or was domiciled in the state at the time of the accident. This is why “worked” and “accident” are given the most weight. Reciprocity Several states will reciprocate another state’s extraterritorial provisions. Each state has its own reciprocal agreements, with as few as a half-dozen states or as many as 30. For as many states that cooperate with reciprocity, just as many states will not. In addition, not all reciprocity agreements address the “claims” aspect of compliance. In other words, the reciprocity means the employer does not have to secure “coverage” for an employee temporarily in another state; however, it does not mean that the employee could not pursue a claim in that state. If the employer was relying on the reciprocity provisions of the state law and did not secure coverage in that other state, the employer may be without coverage for that state and may also become “non-compliant” with the state and be subject to fines. The employer (or its agent) has decided to rely on the employee accepting his home state benefits. If the injured employee goes back to her home state for benefits, no harm, no foul. However, if the employee perfects a claim in another state or in some instances simply chooses to file a claim in that state, then the employer would be considered a non-complying employer and could be subject to penalties. Washington does not reciprocate in construction employment unless there is an agreement in place. Washington has these agreements with Oregon, Idaho, North Dakota, South Dakota, Montana, Wyoming and Nevada. Some specifics Massachusetts, Nevada, New Hampshire New Mexico, New York, Montana, and Wisconsin require coverage in 3.A. Kentucky allows no exceptions for family members, temporary, part time or out-of-state employers performing any work in the state of Kentucky. Kentucky does not accept the Ohio C110 form. New York made a significant change in its workers compensation law [Section 6 of the 2007 Reform Act (A.6163/S.3322)] that affected employers if they conducted any work in New York or employed any person whose duties involve activities that took place in New York. Effective Feb. 1, 2011, the New York board clarified coverage requirements. Detailed information can be found on the New York Workers Compensation Board’s website: http://www.wcb.ny.gov/content/main/onthejob/CoverageSituations/outOfStateEmployers.jsp Florida, Nevada and Montana require all employers working in the construction industry to have specific coverage for their state in 3.A. Ohio and Washington require that employers purchase coverage from the state for all employers working in the construction industry. Otherwise, Florida, Nevada, Montana, Ohio and Washington will honor coverage for temporary work from other jurisdictions. Florida also requires the coverage be written with a licensed Florida carrier. 3.A. coverage status is required for any employer having three or more employees in New Mexico and Wisconsin even on a temporary basis. The standard workers compensation policy exclusion for bodily injury occurring outside the U.S., its territories or possessions and Canada does not apply to bodily injury to a citizen or resident of the U.S. or Canada who is temporarily outside these countries. State workers compensation will apply, however, for those employers that have employees regularly traveling out of the country; the Foreign Workers Compensation and Employers Liability endorsement should be added to their workers compensation policy. This endorsement is used for U.S.-hired employees who are traveling or residing temporarily outside the U.S. The coverage is limited to 90 days. For employees out of the country for long periods or permanently, coverage needs to be arranged under an international policy. The extraterritorial issues arise because many states — Alabama, Alaska, California, Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee and Wisconsin — permit concurrent jurisdiction between State and Longshore coverage. Some states — notably Florida, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, New Jersey, Texas, Virginia and Washington — do not permit this concurrent jurisdiction, and Longshore becomes the sole remedy. In concurrent jurisdictions, the employee can file in both state and federal court, and the employer must defend both. Summary

Recognize that having employees who work, live or are temporarily traveling to or through other states creates premium and coverage challenges for employers and agents.
Take time to understand the rules of the state where there is potential exposure.
States requiring coverage in 3.A. for some or all situations tend to be strict and impose severe penalties for non-compliance. Many carriers are often aware of the challenges these states present and will work with the agent/employer and add on an “if any” exposure basis.
Always attempt to secure the broadest coverage possible under the workers compensation policy, adding to 3.A. as many states with even minimal exposure. As a fallback, get the state in 3.C.
Obtain coverage for operations in monopolistic states separately.
Address out-of-state exposures when insured by a state-specific state fund or regional carrier that only writes in one or a few states. Remember, the 3.C. wording is designed to pay benefits — by reimbursing the employer — if the carrier cannot pay directly to the employee.
Check for employees traveling out of the country and arrange to expand coverage with the foreign endorsement or through an international policy.
Check with a marine expert to assess the exposure to the Longshore Act and whether coverage is required. Longshore is very employee-friendly.

The white paper on which this article was based can be found here.