Home Healthcare Providers Workers’ Compensation

January 20, 2015

Home Healthcare Providers Workers’ Compensation  Home Healthcare Providers Worker’s Compensation Coverage

Home healthcare is one of the fastest growing sectors in the medical and healthcare industry. This is largely the result of an aging American population. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services reports that roughly one out of every eight Americans is over the age of 65, and this number is growing rapidly. By 2030 experts estimate that there will be some 72.1 million older persons over the age of 65 in the United States. As such the need and demand for home healthcare providers and services will continue to increase over the next two decades.

According to the National Association for Home Care & Hospice, approximately 12 million individuals currently receive home medical care from more than 33,000 healthcare providers. Through the course of providing their services, home health care agencies face unique and complex risk exposures, including work accidents and injuries.

For example, nurses and home healthcare providers continue to experience high rates of musculoskeletal injuries related to manual handling patients, despite both legislative and industry efforts to improve healthcare worker safety. In addition to physical injuries home healthcare providers face a number of other serious safety and health hazards. These include bloodborne pathogens and biological hazards, potential chemical and drug exposures, waste and anesthetic gas exposures, respiratory hazards, ergonomic hazards from lifting and repetitive tasks, workplace violence, and much more.

Providing healthcare services in a home environment is an important service; however it is not without its risks. While securing quality worker’s compensation and risk management solutions is a vital part of helping clients protect their employees and assets financially, these policies alone cannot prevent workplace accidents. It is important that your clients encourage safe practices among their workers to protect the employees’ health and potentially avoid a workers compensation claim.

At Manchester Specialty Programs, we specialize in insuring the home health care industry and offer a comprehensive program exclusively designed for this segment. Our Home Healthcare Providers program offer the coverage this sector needs, including Workers’ Compensation, Professional Liability, Employment Practices Liability, and much more. To learn more about our Home Healthcare Providers Workers’ Compensation coverage and all our offerings, contact us today at (855) 972-9399.