Calif. bill would make certain ailments, mental injury compensable

Certain diseases, cancer and post-traumatic stress disorder would be compensable on presumption for frontline hospital workers under a bill presented to the California Senate on Tuesday.

 

S.B. 213 would define make compensable “infectious diseases, cancer, musculoskeletal injuries, post-traumatic stress disorder, and respiratory diseases” for a “hospital employee who provides direct patient care in an acute care hospital.”

 

The bill would create “rebuttable presumptions that these injuries that develop or manifest in a hospital employee who provides direct patient care in an acute care hospital arose out of and in the course of the employment.”

 

The bill would extend these presumptions for specified time periods after the hospital employee’s termination of employment. For example, for respiratory disease or cancer presumptions, the presumptions would be extended following termination of employment for three calendar months for each full year of employment, but not to exceed 120 months. For post-traumatic stress disorder, the presumption would be extended following termination of employment for three calendar months for each full year of employment, but not to exceed 36 months.