Workers' Compensation Insurance and Injury Reporting
Workers’ Compensation is a program that provides medical and income benefits to employees injured during the course and scope of employment. UTHealth provides these benefits on behalf of all employees including faculty, staff, and residents. If you or an employee you supervise has an on-the-job injury medical care should be found through the IMO Network unless it’s an emergency. When necessary medical attention is provided please complete Supervisor's First Report of Injury. Students are covered under their personal insurance, however RMI would like any injured students to complete Supervisor's First Report of Injury. Reporting work related injuries and illness insures proper accident investigation and possible development of mitigation strategies to reduce accident recidivism.
How Workers' Compensation works
by Sondra Faul
UTHealth maintains Workers’ Compensation Insurance (“WCI”) through UT System as part of a self-administered/self-insurance plan. This plan provides necessary and reasonable medical coverage and income benefits payments to employees who sustain injuries or occupational disease while in the course and scope of employment. Some of the employee benefits are: Disability income, medical expense reimbursement, and rehabilitation services.
UTHealth as the employer has a duty of care to you the employee to: provide a safe place to work, provide competent fellow employees, provide safe tools and equipment, warn employees of inherent dangers and make and enforce rules for the safety of all employees.
UTHealth employees have a duty to: Report your injury to your supervisor within 7 days from the date of the injury or from the date you knew your injury or illness was related to your job. You are required to see a medical provider if you miss time from work even if you use your own sick time. You must obtain a Work Status Report which must be given to your supervisor and faxed to Risk Management and Insurance (713-500-8111) so that you may return to work and you are required to keep in contact with your supervisor each time you seek treatment from your medical provider or miss time from work.
To learn more about WCI please follow this link to the Safety, Health, Environment and Risk Management website: https://www.uth.edu/safety/Risk-Management-and-Insurance-(Workers-Compensation)/ or call the UTHealth WCI Representative, Sondra Faul, 713-500-8127,[email protected]. You can also find information in the HOOP policy #100 (https://www.uth.edu/hoop/policy.htm?id=1448048).
Workers’ Compensation by Classification
Workers' Compensation IMO Med-Select Health Care Network
Workers’ Compensation Forms
Workers' Compensation Links
Workers' Compensation Coverage for Out-of-State or Out-of-Country Employees
Most UT Health Science Center at Houston employees receive Texas-specific Workers' Compensation insurance coverage through the UT System self-administered plan. Health science center faculty or staff stationed out of state or in another country may require coverage under a separate workers' compensation policy since some states or countries do not accept the self-administered plan.
Examples:
Out-of-State Employee
One whose permanent home and work address is located in another state or nation, whether the office is newly set-up or has been in existence for a long time.
An employee hired in Texas for a new office in Washington, D.C., for example, where that person will live.
In-State Employee — One who travels outside of Texas for a limited assignment, but keeps Texas as a home base and intends to return to Texas — even if an out-of-state residence is set up temporarily.
Risk Management and Insurance must be alerted if someone in your department falls within out-of-state or out-of-country categories — as detailed above, so the health science center can provide the correct insurance coverage for our employees. Please contact Sondra Faul, (713) 500-8127, with information about any employees who may fall into an out-of-state or out-of-country category.
Visitors/Guest Accident Investigation Form
All Visitors/Guest/Patients who need to report an incident taking place on UT Health property should use this form. All Employees/Medical Residents/Student should continue to use the Supervisors’ First Report of Injury.
UTHealth Patient/Visitor accident form (pdf)
UTPhysicians Patient/Visitor accident form (pdf)
