Workers’ Compensation

Workers’ compensation is a type of insurance covering employees for injuries or illnesses sustained during the course of performing job duties.

Workers’ compensation benefits include, but are not limited to, lost wages, payment of medical bills, and prescriptions.

To report an injury, please use the anchor links below and follow the instructions.

Reporting a Work-Related Injury or Illness | Medical Treatment | Prescriptions | Accidental Leave

Reporting a Work-Related Injury or Illness

Report work-related injuries and illnesses, regardless of whether medical treatment is required, to the Risk Management Division within three (3) days of the incident. Prompt reporting ensures that the injured person receives the medical treatment and benefits entitled to them.

To report an injury or illness:

1. Notify your supervisor of the injury or exposure
2. Complete the appropriate first report of injury form:
   1. Faculty or staff should complete the following form:
      1. Online form or Employee First Report of Injury
   2. Faculty or staff working outside of Maryland should complete the following form:
      1. Out of State Employee First Report of Injury
   3. Volunteers should complete the following form:
      1. Volunteer First Report of Injury

If seeking medical treatment, print a copy of the injury report and take it with you to document notification to EHS.

Supervisor investigation report and accident witness(s) statement:

The following forms should be completed by the injured person's supervisor and witness(s) to the event:

• Supervisor's Investigation Report or use the Online Form
• Accident Witness Statement or use the Online Form

Note: if the PDF form is used, you must fax a completed copy to the Risk Management Division at 410-706-0954 or scan and email a copy to UMBRiskManagement@umaryland.edu.

Medical Treatment

This information is only for the use of the University of Maryland employees and volunteers. If you are a student requiring medical care, please navigate to Student Health Resources to the Urgent Needs page.

Note: Employees or volunteers covered under Maryland's workers’ compensation system may seek treatment from a health care provider of their choice. Take a copy of the first report of injury form with you to ensure you are not billed for the visit. The forms are in the reporting section of this page and also available onsite at UMICC.

Prescriptions

Procedures to Obtain Prescription Medication at No Cost

The pharmacy benefits manager, Express Scripts, pre-authorizes prescriptions for treatment of a work-related injury with no out of pocket cost to the employee. The pharmacy provides generic medications unless the employee’s doctor specifically requests a name brand. There is a list of participating pharmacies provided on the temporary ID card.

Have a Question? Check out our Frequently Asked Questions for more information.

Note: There are processing steps included on the temporary ID forms to make it easier for the pharmacist to input the prescription for approval.

1. Complete the Express Scripts - Temporary RX ID Card with personal information.
2. Use Group number IWIEXP for any needle stick, human/animal bite or scratch injuries or Group number IWI01700 for all other injuries or illnesses.
3. ID# is the 7-digit IWIF/Chesapeake claim number or the employee’s SSN.
4. Please allow three (3) hours [bloodborne pathogen exposures] or twenty-four (24) hours [all other injuries or illnesses] for processing before picking up the medication from the pharmacy.
5. Any questions should be referred to Express Scripts Patient Care Contact Center 800-945-5951.

For needle stick & human/animal exposures:

To obtain immediate, no cost prescriptions at a University of Maryland Medical System pharmacy, the UMB employee must sign and take with them to the UMMS pharmacy a "Purple Slip". The slip alerts the pharmacy technician that the prescriptions relate to an on the job injury and provides billing instructions for processing through our workers' compensation carrier's vendor, Express Scripts. By signing the Purple Slip you agree to be responsible for payment if your claim is denied by our workers' compensation carrier.

* Please note the Purple Slip cannot be used at any pharmacy. It must be used at a participating UMMS pharmacy (ex. Weinberg, Redwood St., U of MD Ortho @ Kernan).

Accident Leave

The accident leave policy can be found on the HRS website.

Accident leave is a paid benefit provided to regular status employees who suffer compensable work-related injuries in lieu of using accrued leave.

• Employees in regular status, who are benefit eligible and work 50% FTE are eligible for accident leave.
• The accident leave rate is two-thirds of the employee’s gross annual salary and is subject to only FICA tax. There are no other federal or state tax withholdings. Overtime is not calculated into the accident leave rate.
• Accident leave eligibility begins on the first full day missed from work and expires six months (6) from the injury date. Since Maryland Workers’ Compensation Law mandates reduced pay, an employee cannot supplement the loss of 1/3 pay with accrued leave.
• Regardless if accident leave is immediately used or not, eligibility expires six months (6) from the date of injury.
• Approval is required for accident leave. For approval, the employee must supply EHS and their department with medical documentation from one of the following:
  1. The treating physician who opines the employee is unable to work or can only work in a limited duty capacity as a result of the work injury; or
  2. Medical facility stating the date and time of treatment rendered to the employee.
• Payment of accident leave occurs when regular employees are completely off work, working partial days or when regular employees need to leave early or arrive late to attend a doctor’s appointment; this includes physical therapy appointments.