The Texas Department of Insurance division of workers compensation recently informed first responders that the deadline is approaching for COVID-19 Worker’s Compensation claims to be re-processed. Under senate bill 22 passed in 2021 during the 87th legislature regular session, the Texas government code section 607.0545 was amended to create a rebuttable presumption that a severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus two also known as COVID-19 injury or death is work related for certain first responders.
The fascinating thing about this law is that it was made retroactive, covering first responders who sustained an occupational disease of COVID-19 even before the effective date of the act. And not only that, it allowed them to re-file for claims that had been denied prior to the effective date of the act. The deadline is approaching in June for first responders to re-file and request that the responsible insurance carrier or Worker’s Compensation administrator review the claim to determine if the presumption applies.
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