Saud Anwar

Senator Anwar Addresses Letter to Insurance Department Commissioner Mais Encouraging Workers’ Compensation for Medical Workers Who Contract COVID-19

Today, State Senator Saud Anwar (D-South Windsor) addressed a letter to Connecticut Insurance Department Commissioner Andrew N. Mais encouraging him to allow health care workers in Connecticut who contract COVID-19 to be able to receive workers’ compensation insurance. In addition to serving as State Senator, Sen. Anwar is a medical doctor working in Intensive Care. He said he has heard from colleagues they may not be eligible for workers’ compensation unless they can prove they contracted COVID-19 in the medical setting.

“Because we are dealing with a highly contagious virus, it is nearly impossible to prove where an individual contracted the illness,” said Sen. Anwar. “Health care workers are putting their own, and their families’, well-being on the line every time they go to work during the COVID-19 pandemic.”

“We need to show frontline health care workers that we have their back if they get sick,” Sen. Anwar said. “It should be assumed a health care worker has obtained COVID-19 on the job if they test positive for COVID-19.”

The full text of the letter is included below.

April 2, 2020

Commissioner Andrew N. Mais
Connecticut Insurance Department
153 Market Street, 7th Floor
Hartford CT 06103

RE: Workers’ Compensation for medical professionals during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Commissioner Mais,

I am writing to encourage you to assure healthcare workers in Connecticut will be covered by workers’ compensation insurance if they become unable to work due to contracting COVID-19.

Recently I have heard from many of my colleagues in the medical field that workers’ compensation insurance will not cover them unless they can prove that they contracted COVID 19 on the job. Because we are dealing with a highly contagious virus, it is nearly impossible to prove where an individual contracted the illness. Healthcare workers are putting their own, and their families’, wellbeing on the line every time they go to work during the COVID-19 pandemic. Not only are they faced with contracting a potentially life-threatening illness, but also with the possibility of losing their source of income.

We need to show frontline healthcare workers that we have their back if they get sick. Please use your oversight authority to ensure workers’ compensation insurance companies do not require healthcare workers to prove they contacted COVID-19 on the job. For purposes of coverage, it should be assumed a healthcare worker has obtained COVID-19 on the job if they test positive for COVID-19, or if a medical provider believes, based on exhibited symptoms, that the worker has contracted COVID-19.

Respectfully,

Saud Anwar, M.D.