Added Coverage and Benefits Protects Your Staff Volunteers
Volunteering is a way for people to give back to their communities by performing valuable services. However, volunteers can sustain an injury while working on behalf of the district. For some time, members have been asking for a way to help provide some security to the volunteers who give so much to their community.
Since volunteers are not paid, they do not receive the benefit of workers’ compensation coverage. Accident insurance is an alternative method that will provide limited medical benefits coverage.
In our continuing effort to provide members with the most extensive scope of coverage products to meet their risk management needs, we are excited to announce that we have secured an accident insurance program with QBE, one of the largest worldwide insurance carriers and financially rated A+ by AM Best.
Members, excluding fire districts, will now receive limited medical benefits coverage for their registered volunteers in the event they are injured while performing their assigned duties. Key features incorporated into this coverage are $25,000 maximum in medical expenses inclusive of dental and physiotherapy, an accidental death benefit of $15,000, and accidental dismemberment and paralysis benefit of $50,000.
All expenses and benefits will be subject to a total annual aggregate limit of $500,000. This means that is the most that will be paid for all covered losses in any one year. No deductible will apply, the benefit period shall be 52 weeks, and coverage will apply excess of all other insurance available to the volunteer.
Members that use volunteers should review their best practices as a way to manage this risk by obtaining waivers, performing background checks, and providing training for the activities they will be performing.
This new Volunteer Accident coverage is effective January 1, 2020, and members will receive the benefit free of charge for the first year to provide care for their volunteers. Volunteers must be reported on the liability exposure summary for automatic coverage in 2020. There will be a $1 per volunteer charge for coverage in 2021.
