Repository: UIHistories Project: Board of Trustees Minutes - 1982 [PAGE 399]

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388

BOARD OF TRUSTEES

[October 15

President Stone announced that an executive session was requested and ordered for consideration of pending litigation and consideration of personnel matters.

EXECUTIVE SESSION

The board considered the following items of business.

Settlement of Worker's Compensation Claim

(1) An Application for Adjustment of Claim has been filed by Gertrude Asrow, a teaching assistant in pediatrics at the Medical Center campus, and is pending before the Illinois Industrial Commission (Case #81-WC-02842) in connection with accidental injuries incurred on January 25, 1980, in the course of her employment by the University. The claimant suffered a fractured left humerus and was ultimately hospitalized at Northwestern Memorial Hospital. Subsequently she developed complications in a respiratory condition which the University believes are unrelated to the incident identified in the Worker's Compensation claim. The claimant is unable to work, has applied for disability benefits from the State Universities Retirement System, and is considering applying for retirement benefits. T h e matters in dispute are the nature and extent of the injuries, the responsibility for medical and hospital charges, and the relationship, if any, between the accident and the respiratory problem. The disability benefits paid to Ms. Asrow to date are approximately $16,600. Unless the respiratory problems are shown to be independent of the work-related incident, the University faces continuing liability for accrued and reasonably expected statutory benefits in excess of $80,000, accrued medical and hospital expenses of approximately $370,000, and, based on the claimant's life expectancy, future care and medicals which could amount to over one and one-half million dollars. It is now proposed that all aspects of the Worker's Compensation claim be settled on the basis of a payment of $125,000. To date the University has paid approximately $8,500 in hospital and medical expenses which are allocable to the work-related incident. To the extent that the accrued hospital and medical charges are unrelated to the work incident, they would appear to be the subject of a claim by Ms. Asrow under the State employees health insurance through Blue Cross and Blue Shield, and she intends to pursue the same. As a retiree under the State Universities Retirement System, Ms. Asrow would be entitled to continued coverage under the State employees health care program administered by Blue Cross-Blue Shield for future medical and hospital expenses not covered by the Worker's Compensation Statute. Separate from the settlement of the Worker's Compensation matter, Ms. Asrow will be admitted to the University of Illinois Hospital to receive treatment for her ongoing respiratory condition or, at the University's option, will be provided nursing care at a cost of approximately $300 per day. In either event it is contemplated that she will pursue her claim against Blue Cross—Blue Shield for past and future health care services allocable to her respiratory and other illnesses unrelated to the work incident. T h e university counsel and the Subcommittee on Worker's Compensation have recommended settlement of the matter on the foregoing basis. Under prior Board of Trustees action, the executive vice president is to inform the board of any Worker's Compensation claim in which payment for loss of income and medical expenses exceeds $30,000 and submit to the board for its approval any payment for permanent disability in excess of $30,000. Since the amount allocated to permanent disability in settlement of this case will exceed $30,000, the executive vice president recommends that the board approve the proposed settlement. I concur.