New Product Announcement – PIU Needlestick Insurance
We are pleased to announce a new product designed by Petersen International Underwriters called Needlestick Insurance has hit the employee benefits market. This group benefits plan offers up to $100,000 in a cash lump sum to help compensate healthcare workers, emergency service workers, and first responders who have been injured by a needlestick occurrence and have contracted a bloodborne pathogen (Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C, and HIV). The purpose of the insurance is to help cover costs associated with testing, treatment and other expenses that may arise as a result of a needlestick injury, such as lost wages and travel expenses.
According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), healthcare workers as well as first responders are at risk of needlestick injuries. Needlestick injuries occur when needles, or other sharp objects, penetrate the skin. The CDC reports that about 385,000 needlestick injuries occur each year in the United States alone.
- Needlestick injuries are commonly associated with the use of hollow-bore needles, which are used for injections, blood draws, and other medical procedures.
- Healthcare workers who are most at risk of needlestick injuries are healthcare professionals who handle needles like nurses, physicians, and laboratory technicians.
- The most common sites for a needlestick injury are the hands and arms.
- Needlestick injuries can lead to the transmission of bloodborne pathogens, such as HIV, Hepatitis B, and Hepatitis C.
- The risk of pathogen transmission depends on various factors including the type of pathogen, the amount of blood involved, the depth of the injury, and location.
Needlestick injuries are a significant concern for healthcare workers. While efforts are made to reduce the risk of these injuries and their associated complications, needlestick injuries do happen and healthcare workers need protection from the financial risk of accidental exposure to bloodborne pathogens.
Needlestick insurance provides a lump sum cash benefit to health healthcare workers who experience a needlestick injury or other accidental exposure to bloodborne pathogens in the course of their work. The purpose of the insurance is to help cover the costs associated with testing, treatment, and other expenses that may arise as a result of the injury, such as lost wages and travel expenses.
The amount of the benefit varies depending on the terms of the policy, but typically rates from $25,000 to $100,000.
Overall, needlestick insurance provides a way for healthcare workers to protect themselves financially in the event of a needlestick injury or accidental exposure to bloodborne pathogens.