Hassle-Free Health Coverage: Medical and Disability Package

This coverage package provides the most complete combination of 24-hour occupational and non-occupational coverage. It includes medical and disability coverage for both accidents and diseases on a 24-hour basis (it has been referred to as Universal 24-Hour Coverage for this reason).

In recent years, the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) has assisted its membership in the gathering and sharing of information about 24-hour coverage and pilot programs in various states. Key components of this effort included the work done by the NAIC 24-Hour Coverage Working Group and the Workers' Compensation (D) Task Force. The task force identified a number of significant barriers to the implementation of 24-hour coverage. These barriers may be classified as legal, institutional and regulatory. While not attempting a complete discussion of these barriers, we will summarize the nature of these barriers for you.

There are a variety of barriers that have prevented the rapid development and implementation of 24hour coverage products. There are also some potential conflicts with federal law. There is a need to preserve the "exclusive remedy" aspect of workers' comp benefits. There are institutional barriers due to the different nature of occupational and nonoccupational benefits, which entities have traditionally provided them, and how the benefits are usually structured. Additionally, there are a few regulatory issues to be resolved.