Week 5 Checkpoint

Characteristics of Workers Compensation Plans

When an employee is hurt on their job due to job-related duties, they are entitled to workers compensation insurance. Workers compensation insurance is insurance that will cover costs and expenses related your recovery, such as hospital costs and rehabi litation costs. Workers compensation will also cover wages lost because of the employee not being able to work. The insurance will always be from a licensed insurance company. Most, if not all states must provide workers compensation if their employee gets hurt on the job; it is the law. There are four main types of workers compensation plans that the U.S. Department of Labor Employment Standards Administrations Office of Workers Compensation Program (OWCP). The Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program provides benefits only to current employees, previous employees, contractors, subcontractors and the survivors of employees of the U.S. Department of Energy. The Federal Employees Compensation Program provides wage and healthcare benefits to federal employees that where hurt on the job or developed a disease because of their job. This program also provides benefits to the federal employees immediate family. The Longshore and Harbor Workers Compensation Program provides benefits to injured or disabled workers whos injuries occurred on the navigable waters of the U.S. and shoreside areas. Finally, the Black Lung Benefits Program covers medical benefits and monthly wages to people who are disabled due to pneumoconiosis. This program also provides benefits to their eligible family members.

I believe it is necessary to have both federal and state compensation plans because if you only have a state plan, it may not cover all the benefits you may need. It would be best to have the compensation plan on both a state and federal level to make sure you would not fall short of compensation benefits.