PA Workers Comp Could Cover Medical Marijuana

 In Pennsylvania, the Commonwealth Court rules that insurance companies should cover the cost of medical marijuana for employees using medical marijuana as treatment for injuries sustained while on the job. There were two cases presented to the courts, both including a claimant that was using medical marijuana at the advice of medical professionals to rid the use of opiates and/or narcotics for pain sustained from a work-related injury. Initially, their claims were denied when asking for insurance to cover their expenses, but the Commonwealth Court has since appealed the decision. It was concluded that the Medical Marijuana Law states that patients shouldn’t be “denied any rights for lawful use of medical marijuana”, which ultimately led to the decision that insurance companied should cover the use. It was also noted in the article, written by John Finnerty, that there is no federal law being broken, since insurance companies aren’t technically paying for the marijuana, they are just reimbursing patients for medical costs. Ultimately, if you are in Pennsylvania and you are recommended medical marijuana use as treatment for a work sustained injury, you may be covered by workers comp insurance. To read the specifics detailed in Finnerty’s article, click here:

Finnerty, J. (2023, March 21). Pa.. Commonwealth Court rules that workers' comp should cover medical marijuana cost. Gazette. Retrieved March 22, 2023, from https://www.post-gazette.com/news/crime-courts/2023/03/21/pennsylvania-court-workers-compensation-medical-marijuana-cost-injury/stories/202303210095