What is listeria? A microbiologist explains the bacterium behind recent deadly food poisoning outbreaks

More than 100 Americans die on the job every week, according to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, the federal agency tasked with regulating workplace safety. It may not come as a surprise that industries such as transportation and construction report the largest number of workplace fatalities. There were 1,282 reported fatalities in the transportation sector and 976 in construction in 2020, the most recent year for which data is available.

Far more common, however, are nonfatal workplace injuries, which can threaten a person's ability to earn an income because they are unable to work. This can be especially difficult for nonexempt employees, who are paid according to the number of hours they work, not a predetermined salary, and who may not qualify for benefits. For nonfatal injuries, an employee can turn to workers' compensation to help cover the costs of medical treatment, rehab, and lost wages.

This benefit for workers, though, is governed by individual states and can vary greatly. For example, Texas is the only state where employers are not required to provide workers' compensation to employees.

Simply Business examined data published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health to find 10 of the most common workers' compensation injury claims. Around 16% of the injury claims analyzed in the study resulted in the most extreme of outcomes—either disability or the death of a worker.

The data used in the study, published in 2020, is based on 151,959 work-related injury payments made between 2011 and 2018 by a large, national, third-party provider. Claims describing multiple injuries or the word "other" were not included.

- Total claims: 882

- Percent of total: 0.6%

Concussions at work can happen as a result of a fall or other damage to the head. Concussions are considered one of the more severe workplace injuries due to the persistent effect head injuries can have on a person's brain. Concussions can lead to a range of symptoms including memory loss, headaches, noise sensitivity, and insomnia. In industries considered high risk for workplace concussions, certain mitigating protocols are enforced; for example, a hard hat is required to be worn at all times within active construction zones—that goes for onsite workers and supervisors alike.

A severe concussion, or multiple incidents of concussion, could lead to chronic traumatic encephalopathy, a degenerative neurological condition commonly seen among veteran NFL players.

- Total claims: 1,406

- Percent of total: 0.9%

Some American workers make their income in industries where they must work carefully so as not to be crushed by heavy objects or machinery. This is common in large manufacturing operations. A 2021 Occupational Safety and Health Administration inspection found a pillow manufacturing company in Georgia had repeatedly violated safety standards. The company's unsafe practices caused three workers to undergo amputations, including one employee who had nine fingers crushed. In the spring of 2022, a young man in Wichita, Kansas, fell from a forklift and was crushed by it, according to a local Kansas CBS affiliate citing a police report.

Proper employee training on how to handle potentially dangerous machinery is imperative for a safe workplace. OSHA has set standards for machine guarding to help companies put safety protocols into place.

- Total claims: 2,182

- Percent of total: 1.4%

Like incidents of crushing, broken or fractured bones are often the result of improperly operating heavy machinery and other objects. Bone fractures can also result from vehicle crashes and falling objects. Construction and industrial worksites are required to maintain certain safeguards when building tall structures so as to prevent workers from falling and breaking bones. These measures are generally referred to as personal protective equipment, or PPE, and include hard hats, tethers, harnesses, and lanyards, as well as retroreflective wear so that workers are visible to one another in low light.

- Total claims: 4,266

- Percent of total: 2.8%

Impalement is a particularly gruesome workplace injury. Steel reinforcement bars, commonly found on construction sites, is one example of a workplace hazard that could lead to impalement. Other examples of foreign objects entering the body are nails and other sharp debris. Providing safety gloves, proper footwear, and signage to avoid trips are all ways employers can help workers avoid these injuries.

- Total claims: 4,661

- Percent of total: 3.1%

When you think of burning incidents in the workplace, you might think of employees working in a restaurant kitchen. But according to the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, individuals who work with hot furnaces, chemicals, steam, and electrical sources are also at risk for burns and electrocution, which also falls into this category. These injuries can vary in severity and are commonly covered under workers' compensation plans. In 2020, the Electrical Safety Foundation found that 126 workers died as a result of electrocution but noted that this number reflected a 24% decrease since 2019.

- Total claims: 8,363

- Percent of total: 5.5%

Punctures are narrow, deep injuries that typically involve a sharp object. Nail guns, scissors, medical equipment, and power tools are examples of tools that can lead to puncture wounds in the workplace. Among other measures, employers should ensure that workers are given proper training and are equipped with personal safety gear to work with specialized tools.

- Total claims: 13,449

- Percent of total: 8.9%

Sprains are pesky injuries that can commonly result from many types of action in the workplace including slips, pushing, pulling, or lifting heavy things. An ankle sprain, for example, can force a worker off their feet for an extended period of time and may require physical therapy to heal. If that worker's earning ability is based on hours, they could see a significant reduction in income and increase in stress if they are unable to return to work as a result.

Musculoskeletal injuries like sprains and strains are unfortunately common among nurses.

Employers can put processes in place that help ensure workers aren't overexerting themselves and spraining parts of their body, such as allowing or even mandating periods of stretching or rest during the workday.

- Total claims: 17,919

- Percent of total: 11.8%

Lacerations of the skin are one of the more common injuries reported in the workplace, according to the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health study. The Ohio Bureau of Workers' Compensation has found that the majority of these workplace injuries involve the hands and fingers due to their role in pretty much every form of labor, to one degree or another. Employers can help workers avoid these incidents with proper hand protection, clean work environments, and suitable training for the use of sharp objects and power tools.

- Total claims: 31,651

- Percent of total: 20.8%

"Contusion" is simply another term for "bruise." Bruising is an insidious form of injury, as it can result from many circumstances. Their severity can range from the very minor—a small muscle bruise—to blunt force injuries that involve the worker's head, which can cause brain bleeding.

To mitigate the risk of serious injury, employers can provide workers with protective equipment such as hard hats, safety gloves, and steel- or composite-toe footwear to avoid bruises, or require employees to use their own protective equipment as a condition of employment. Moreover, ensuring that workspaces are cleanly marked and spaced can help workers avoid contusions from accidental contact with hard surfaces.

- Total claims: 45,675

- Percent of total: 30.1%

Strains make up the largest portion of workers' compensation claims overall, and while a strain may sound like the least of the injuries on this list, they can have lasting repercussions on a worker's ability to earn future income. Repetitive strains and strained muscles resulting in disability occurred most often compared to other workplace injury types, according to the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health study.

The repetitive motions frequently required of warehouse workers, restaurant kitchen staff, and other manual labor professions can cause strains of all kinds. Employers can avoid straining injury complaints by teaching proper techniques for handling heavy objects and utilizing equipment that helps take the strain off of workers. They can also teach repetitive strain injury prevention by offering workers ample break time to rest or stretch during their shift.

This story originally appeared on Simply Business and was produced and distributed in partnership with Stacker Studio.

For many patients navigating America's health care system, costly medical bills are expected, so it's no surprise that roughly two in three adults in the U.S. worry about additional health care costs that they don't know about. One in three Americans reported being "very worried" about incurring these surprise medical costs. The financial implications of health care kept nearly half of respondents from seeking medical care, according to a 2020 Harris Poll survey completed on behalf of the American Heart Association.

This worry is not unfounded. Thirty percent of adults with health insurance received an unexpected medical bill within the last two years, according to a 2020 analysis by the Kaiser Family Foundation. This means a patient was fully or partially billed for care they believed was covered by their insurance. Emergency scenarios like calling an ambulance or landing in the ER can result in surprise medical bills when the providers are outside a patient's insurance network. While these unexpected costs vary, the average can range from $750 to $2,600.

To combat the financial burden of unexpected medical bills, the No Surprises Act was signed into law on December 27, 2020, as part of the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021. This legislation protects insured consumers against surprise medical bills when they seek emergency care out-of-network, with the exception of ground ambulance services. It also bans surprise billing for more routine services from out-of-network providers at in-network facilities.

Sidecar Health compiled a list of facts about surprise medical bills, and what the No Surprises Act—which took effect Jan. 1—will do to combat unexpected health care bills. The information primarily comes from the ​​Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, the primary regulatory agency behind the No Surprises Act.

Patients can incur surprise medical bills in a variety of ways, such as when they receive care from out-of-network hospitals, doctors, or other providers they did not choose. Another occurrence is when a provider charges the patient for the difference between the total cost of services and what the patient's insurance paid out. 

Many surprise medical bills come from emergency visits. Even if a patient diligently elects to go to an in-network hospital in the midst of an emergency, the patient may be seen by an out-of-network doctor at that hospital, resulting in unexpected costs. According to the U.S. Departments of Health and Human Services, about one of every six emergency room visits and hospital stays results in surprise medical bills.

The No Surprises Act bans surprise billing for most emergency services and air ambulance transports, even if they're received from an out-of-network provider. This means that patients cannot be charged more for out-of-network cost-sharing like copayments or deductibles when they see an out-of-network emergency provider; the cost-sharing must be based on their insurance plan's in-network rates. This protection applies to most out-of-network emergencies and some non-emergency services. 

Additionally, patients cannot be charged for out-of-network ancillary services. For example, seeing an out-of-network anesthesiologist prior to surgery at an in-network hospital will not incur surprise charges.

As a federal law, the No Surprises Act serves as a baseline for consumer protection in all states. Many states have their own surprise billing law, which provides at least the same level of protection as the No Surprises Act. In most cases, the state law will apply but if no state law exists, the No Surprises Act applies.

Patients cannot choose which ambulance service responds to an emergency call. Even though roughly 50% of emergency ground ambulance rides result in an out-of-network charge, these services are not included in the protections of the No Surprises Act. About 3 million privately insured patients need an ambulance each year, leaving many vulnerable to a surprise bill later. Any surprise billing related to this service will continue to fall back on state law. Currently, 10 states have rules about out-of-network surprise bills for ambulances. The average cost for ground ambulance services is $450.

Air ambulance transport services are significantly higher, with charges averaging $21,700 and up. However, emergency air transportation is protected under the No Surprises Act, which requires that an insurer cover air transport providers as an out-of-network service, with the patient only paying a standard out-of-network co-pay or deductible.

"Good faith" cost estimates are provided to people without insurance, or those who have insurance but choose to pay for medical expenses out of their own pocket. While these estimates are not meant to be precise, they should be reasonably detailed with a list of expected charges and services related to a patient's care. If a bill comes in at least $400 higher than the good faith estimate, patients can file a dispute claim within 120 days of the billing date. Patients can utilize a federally regulated dispute process to determine what amount must be paid in the case of an inaccurate estimate.

This story originally appeared on Sidecar Health and was produced and distributed in partnership with Stacker Studio.