5.1. COMPENSATION
5.1.1 FICA (Federal Insurance Contributions Act)
(revised July 1998)
The United States Government operates a system of contributory insurance known as FICA (Federal Insurance Contributions Act) which has two parts: Social Security and Medicare. As a wage earner, you are required by law to contribute a set amount of your wages to the trust fund from which these benefits are paid. As your employer, Kenyon College is required to deduct this amount (set annually by the U.S. Government) from each paycheck you receive. In addition, Kenyon matches your contribution dollar for dollar, thereby paying one-half of the cost of your Social Security and Medicare benefits.
5.1.2 Workers' Compensation
(revised July 1998)
The State of Ohio Workers' Compensation Law is an insurance plan which is supervised by the state and 100-percent paid for by Kenyon College. This law was designed to provide you with benefits for any injury which you may suffer in connection with your employment. Under the provisions of the law, if you are injured while at work, you are eligible to apply for Workers' Compensation.
What Is Workers' Compensation?
Before Workers' Compensation, an injured worker had to sue his employer to recover medical costs and lost wages. Lawsuits took months and sometimes years. Juries and judges had to decide who was at fault and how much, if anything, would be paid. In most cases, the injured worker got nothing. It was a costly, time-consuming, and unfair system.
Ohio's Workers' Compensation law was passed by the State legislature in the early part of the twentieth century to guarantee prompt, automatic benefits to workers injured on the job.
Effective March 1, 1997, the medical management responsibilities of the Ohio Bureau of Workers' Compensation (BWC) changed to the private sector and are now run by Managed Care Organizations (MCO's). This change was mandated for all Ohio employers with the enactment of House bill 107. Kenyon College chose CompManagement Health Systems, Inc. to provide medical management services to our injured workers.
Today, if you are unable to work because of a job injury, Kenyon College, CompManagement (Kenyon's third party administrator and MCO), and the Bureau of Workers' Compensation work together to take care of your medical expenses and pay you money to live on until you are able to come back to work.
Who Is Covered?
Every Kenyon College employee is protected by Workers' Compensation.
What Is Covered?
Any injury is covered if it is caused by your job - not just serious accidents, but even first-aid type injuries. Illnesses may also be covered if they are related to your job. For example, common colds and flu are not covered, but if you caught tuberculosis while working at a TB hospital, that's covered. The main question is if the injury or illness is the result of the performance of your job.
When Am I Covered?
Coverage begins the first minute you are on the job and continues any time you are working for Kenyon College. You do not have to work a certain length of time, and there is no need to earn any minimum amount of wages before you are protected.
What to Do if You Experience an On-the-Job Injury or Illness
- Report the injury/incident to your supervisor and complete all the necessary paperwork. Your supervisor will give you additional instructions as needed.
- The Office of Human Resources can provide additional written or verbal instructions.
- Seek medical attention from Kenyon's Anchor Medical Group:
Mid-Ohio Corporate Care
1330 Coshocton Road
Mt. Vernon, Ohio 43050
Phone: 393-WORK (9675)
You may seek treatment from any provider; however, the provider must be certified through the Bureau of Workers' Compensation (BWC) to receive payment from our MCO or from the BWC. If you need emergency treatment, please use Knox Community Hospital or the nearest medical facility.
- Give your MCO Identification Card, provided by your supervisor or the Office of Human Resources, to the medical provider to ensure all bills and necessary documents are sent to the correct address.
- Notify your employer of your medical condition.
- Keep the Office of Human Resources informed on the status of your injury.
It is very important that you follow these procedures completely. Failure to complete the necessary paperwork may result in a denial of your claim or cause a delay in processing and payment.
You will be encouraged and expected to return to work as quickly and safely as possible following an injury. If you have questions or concerns, or would like additional information, please notify your supervisor, the Office of Human Resources, or our Managed Care Organization:
CompManagement Health Systems, Inc.
P.O. Box 1040
Dublin, Ohio 43017
(614) 799-1260
Toll Free: 1-888-CHS-7799