California Senate Bill 632 would create a rebuttable presumption for hospital workers for musculoskeletal injuries, COVID-19, respiratory diseases, cancer, and PTSD.

These protections have been historically limited to public safety personnel, and as this bill would extend those presumptions, many have discussed the feasibility this bill would have on the workers’ comp system.

A new study from the California Workers’ Compensation Institute (CWCI) states that SB 632 could raise costs, increase litigation, and set a precedent by expanding presumptions into the private sector. From CWCI’s analysis of 2019–2024 claims:

• 55.7%of hospital worker claims would fall under SB 632, primarily for musculoskeletal injuries (32.1%), COVID-19 (21.7%), and respiratory diseases (1.3%)
• In the general workforce, the same top categories were musculoskeletal (30.0%); COVID-19 (9.9%), and respiratory (0.8%)
• Denial rates were nearly identical: 15.0% for hospital workers and 15.7% for the general workforce

The CWCI finds that hospital worker claim rates and denials mirror those of the general workforce, offering little evidence to justify the proposed presumptions.