All States’ Coverage Now Option for N.D. Employers

At a news conference earlier this week, Workforce Safety & Insurance (WSI) Executive Director/CEO Sandy Blunt announced that North Dakota employers can now purchase a workers’ compensation policy to cover their employees who work temporarily outside the state.

In partnership with the Michigan-based Accident Fund Insurance Company of America, WSI will sell, for $600 per year, a policy that covers all an employers’ workers who must travel out of state on a temporary or incidental basis.

“I am very excited to make this announcement today,” said Blunt. “This issue of temporary coverage outside North Dakota has been an ongoing issue for over 30 years. Under the leadership of WSI’s Board of Directors and the state legislature, we have a solution in place for the employers of our state.”

Also at the news conference was North Dakota House Majority Leader Rick Berg of Fargo. “The legislature put into place law to allow WSI to address this dilemma. I am pleased to have been a partner in helping to develop a workable answer. This should be of particular benefit to companies here along the Red River valley doing business back and forth between North Dakota and Minnesota,” said Berg.

Benefiting from the new coverage will be companies that do business outside of North Dakota and across the country into other states on a temporary basis. Marv Skar, from the Fargo-based trucking firm E W Wylie was at the news conference today and reportedly intends to purchase the coverage. “This policy will finally protect us from potential costly jurisdictional issues and litigation expense for our workers who travel out of state,” said Skar.

WSI negotiated the coverage with the Accident Fund Insurance Company of America through insurance broker Palmer & Cay. North Dakota employers who elect to purchase the coverage will receive an Accident Fund insurance certificate for their workers.

In the past there has reportedly been a lot of confusion for North Dakota employers who have employees working temporarily or incidentally in other states. This new program with the Accident Fund Insurance Company of America will reportedly provide a solution to that difficulty.

North Dakota employers with active accounts in good standing may purchase the All States’ coverage that will cover all of an operation’s employees for a flat rate of $600 per year. Once accepted by WSI, this insurance provides coverage for incidental or temporary work outside the state. If the employer or worker generates more than 25 percent of its business or wages in any other state, the employer must still obtain separate workers’ comp coverage in that other state. Coverage is excluded in the monopoly states of Ohio, West Virginia, Washington and Wyoming.

Information and application forms are available on the WSI Web site at www.workforcesafety.com.