(In effect as of January 1, 2004*)

TABLE 20.  OCCUPATIONAL HEARING LOSS STATUTES

AWARD

SEPARA-

PRESBY-

FOR

TION

MINIMUM

CUSIS

DEDUC-

TIN-

IS

FROM

EXPOSURE

DEDUC-

TION

AURAL

NITUS

O.H.L

TIME

NOISE

IN  LAST

HEARING

TION

FOR PRE-

BENEFITS

CHOICE

REHABILI-

(RING-

COMPEN-

LIMIT

BEFORE

EMPLOY-

LOSS

FOR

EXISTING

(SCHEDULED INJURY)

OF

TATION

WAITING

ING

STATE

SABLE

TO FILE

FILING

MENT

FORMULA

AGING

LOSS

ONE EAR           BOTH

PHYSICIAN

PROVIDED

PERIOD

NOISE)

Alabama

Y

1 yr.

NIS

NIS

ME

N

Y

$11,660

$35,860

Carrier

P

N

1/

Alaska

Y

D-2 yrs.

NIS

NIS

ME

N

N

2/

2/

Employee

P

N

Y

Arizona

Y

1 yr.

NIS

NIS

59 AAOO

N

Y

26,400

79,200

Employee

Y

N

N

Arkansas

Y

2 yrs.

NIS

NIS

ME

N

N

14,280

53,720

Carrier

Y

N

N

California

Y

D-1 yr.

NIS

NIS

79 AAOO

N

Y

$9,296

$64,056

Empoyer/

P

N

Y

3/

3/

Employee

Colorado

Y

2-3 yrs.

NIS

NIS

ME

N

Y

7,257

28, 825.65

Carrier

Y

N

N

Connecticut

Y

D-3 yrs.

NIS

NIS

59 AAOO

N

N

25,410

75,504

Employee

N

N

P

Delaware

Y

D-1 yr.

NIS

NIS

ME

N

Y

38,011

88,692

Employee

Y

N

P

Dist. of Col.

Y

1 yr.

6 mos.

NIS

47 AMA

P

Y

39,858

153,300

Employee

Y

N

P

Florida

Y

D-2 yrs.

NIS

NIS

ME

N

Y

4/

4/

Employer

Y

N

Y

Georgia

Y

1 yr.

6 mos.

90 days

59 AAOO

N

Y

31,875

63,750

Carrier

Y

6 mos.

N

Hawaii

Y

D-2 yrs.

NIS

NIS

ME

N

N

30,992

119,200

Employee

P

N

Y

Idaho

Y

1 yr.

NIS

NIS

ME

N

Y

5/

58,147

Carrier

Y

N

NIS

Illinois

Y

3 yrs.

NIS

90 days

ME

N

Y

27,524

110,094

Employee

N

N

NIS

Indiana

Y 6/

2-3 yrs.

NIS

NIS

ME

N

Y

20,500

62,500

Carrier

Y

N

N

Iowa

Y

2 yrs.

1 mo.

90 days

ME

Y

Y

52,100

182,350

Carrier

Y

N

Y

*See Introduction page.

TABLE 20.  OCCUPATIONAL HEARING LOSS STATUTES (cont.)

AWARD

SEPARA-

PRESBY-

FOR

TION

MINIMUM

CUSIS

DEDUC-

TIN-

IS

FROM

EXPOSURE

DEDUC-

TION

AURAL

NITUS

O.H.L

TIME

NOISE

IN  LAST

HEARING

TION

FOR PRE-

BENEFITS

CHOICE

REHABILI-

(RING-

COMPEN-

LIMIT

BEFORE

EMPLOY-

LOSS

FOR

EXISTING

(SCHEDULED INJURY)

OF

TATION

WAITING

ING

STATE

SABLE

TO FILE

FILING

MENT

FORMULA

AGING

LOSS

ONE EAR            BOTH

PHYSICIAN

PROVIDED

PERIOD

NOISE)

Kansas

Y

1 yr.

NIS

NIS

47 AMA

N

N

13,200

48,400

Carrier

Y

N

N

Kentucky

Y

2-3 yrs.

N/A

N/A

7/

N

Y

N/A

N/A

Employee

N

N

N

Louisiana

Y

D-4 mos.

NIS

NIS

ME

Y

N

8/

8/

Carrier

Y

N

NIS

Maine

Y

2 yrs.

30 days

90 days

ANSI

Y

Y

25,321

101,284

Employee

Y

30 days

Y

Maryland

Y

2 yrs.

N/A

90 days

Attach and Send

Y

Y

30,875

184,815

Employee

Y

6 mos.

P

9-656

Massachusetts

Y

D-4 yrs.

NIS

NIS

ME

N

N

25,595

67,958

Employee

P

N

P

Michigan

N

D-4 mos.

NIS

NIS

ME

N

Y

9/

9/

Carrier

Y

N

N

Minnesota

Y

D-3 yrs.

NIS

NIS

ME

N

Y

N/A

38,500

Employee

Y

N

N

Mississippi

Y

D-2 yrs.

NIS

NIS

ME

N

Y

13,644

51,166

Employee

Y

N

P

Missouri

Y

D-1 yr.

6 mos

90 days

59 AAOO

Y

Y

17,005

62,469

Carrier

N

6 mos.

N

Montana

Y

D-30 days

6 mos.

90 days

59 AAOO

Y

Y

2/

2/

Employee

Y

6 mos.

N

Nebraska

Y

D-2 yrs.

NIS

NIS

59 AAOO

N

N*

27,100

10/

Employee

N

N

Y

Nevada

Y

D-90 days

NIS

NIS

79 AAOO

N

Y

11/

11/

Employee

P

N

Y

New Hampshire

Y

2 yrs.

NIS

NIS

ME

P

N

31,140

127,674

Employee

Y

N

Y

New Jersey

Y

D-1-2 yrs.

4 weeks

1 yr.

ANSI

P

Y

10,380

60,600

Carrier

Y

4 weeks

Y

3 days

40 wks.

12/

* Possibly - See 48-151(4): employer liable for degree of agravation of the preexisting occupational disease.

TABLE 20.  OCCUPATIONAL HEARING LOSS STATUTES (cont.)

AWARD

SEPARA-

PRESBY-

FOR

TION

MINIMUM

CUSIS

DEDUC-

TIN-

IS

FROM

EXPOSURE

DEDUC-

TION

AURAL

NITUS

O.H.L

TIME

NOISE

IN  LAST

HEARING

TION

FOR PRE-

BENEFITS

CHOICE

REHABILI-

(RING-

COMPEN-

LIMIT

BEFORE

EMPLOY-

LOSS

FOR

EXISTING

(SCHEDULED INJURY)

OF

TATION

WAITING

ING

STATE

SABLE

TO FILE

FILING

MENT

FORMULA

AGING

LOSS

ONE EAR            BOTH

PHYSICIAN

PROVIDED

PERIOD

NOISE)

New Mexico

Y

2 yrs./

NIS

NIS

ME/AMA

NIS

Y

21,602

81,010

Carrier/

NIS

N

Y

30 days

Employee

New York

Y

13/

3 mos.

90 days

59 AAOO

N

Y

24,000

60,000

Panel

P

6 mos.

Y

North Carolina

Y

D-2 yrs.

6 mos.

90 days

59 AAOO

N

Y

48,160

103,200

Carrier

Y

6 mos.

N

North Dakota

Y

1 yr.

NIS

NIS

AMA

N

N

14/

14/

Employee

Y

N

N

Ohio

Y

6 mos.

NIS

NIS

ME

N

Y

16,550

82,750

Employee

Y

N

Y

Oklahoma

Y

D-2 yrs.

NIS

NIS

AMA

NIS

Y

29,040

87,120

Carrier

Y

N

Y

Oregon

Y

D-180 days

NIS

NIS

500-6k

Y

Y

33,540

107,328

Employee

Y

N

Y

to 5 yrs.

Pennsylvania

Y

3 yrs.

NIS

NIS

AMA

N

Y

60 week max

260 week max

Panel

NIS

N

NIS

Rhode Island

Y

D-2 yrs.

6 mos.

NIS

59 AAOO

P

Y

min-3,375

min-6,750

Employee

Y

6 mos.

N

max-6,750

max-13,500

South Carolina

Y

D-2 yrs.

NIS

NIS

ME

P

Y

45,084

92,986

Carrier

Y

N

Y

South Dakota

Y

2 yrs.

6 mos

90 days

AMA

Y

Y

15/

70,200

Carrier

Y

N

N

Tennessee

Y

1-3 yrs.

NIS

NIS

ME

N

N

46,350

92,700

Panel

N

N

P

Texas

Y

1 yr. 16/

NIS

NIS

59 AAOO/AMA

N

N

EE

N

N

Y

Utah

Y

D-1 yr.

6 mos

NIS

ME

Y

Y

15/

40,221

Carrier

N

6 mos

N

Vermont

Y

6 yr.

NIS

NIS

AMA

N

Y

AMA Guides

AMA Guides

Carrier

Y

N

Y

TABLE 20.  OCCUPATIONAL HEARING LOSS STATUTES (cont.)

AWARD

SEPARA-

PRESBY-

FOR

TION

MINIMUM

CUSIS

DEDUC-

TIN-

IS

FROM

EXPOSURE

DEDUC-

TION

AURAL

NITUS

O.H.L

TIME

NOISE

IN  LAST

HEARING

TION

FOR PRE-

BENEFITS

CHOICE

REHABILI-

(RING-

COMPEN-

LIMIT

BEFORE

EMPLOY-

LOSS

FOR

EXISTING

(SCHEDULED INJURY)

OF

TATION

WAITING

ING

STATE

SABLE

TO FILE

FILING

MENT

FORMULA

AGING

LOSS

ONE EAR            BOTH

PHYSICIAN

PROVIDED

PERIOD

NOISE)

Virginia

Y

D-2 yrs.

NIS

NIS

59 AAOO

N

Y

34,550

69,100

Panel

Y

N

Y

Washington

Y

D-1 yr.,

NIS

NIS

59 AAOO

N

Y

17/

17/

Employee

NIS

N

P

or 2 yrs. for OD

West Virginia

Y

D-3 yrs.

NIS

NIS

59 AAOO

N

N

2/

2/

Employee

Y

N

P

Wisconsin

Y

None

7 days

90 days

CHABA

Y

Y

8,352

50,112

Employee

Y

N

N

Wyoming

Y

D-1 yr.

NIS

NIS

ME

P

N

4/

4/

Employee

Y

N

N

Abbreviations

Footnotes

O.H.L. - Occupational Hearing Loss

1/ Alabama:  Courts have the authority for establishing criteria to

P - Possible

be used in determining the degree of hearing loss.

D - Discovery Rule (when injury discovered)

2/ Alaska, Montana, and West Virginia:  Ratings

N - No

for compensation purposes are determined as a percentage of

Y - Yes

permanent partial impairment of the whole person.

ME - Medical evaluation

3/ California: Complete hearing loss in one ear is a 15% disability, while hearing

AMA - American Medical Association

loss in both ears is a 60% disability.  These translate, for 2003, to

AAOO - American Academy of Opthalmology

$9,296 and $64,056 respectively, for standard disabilites.

and Otolaryngology

4/ Florida and Wyoming :  Benefits paid according to degree of

NIS - Not in statute

impairment as is.

CHABA - Committee on Hearing, Bioacoustics and

5/ Idaho:  Weekly benefit amount is 55% of the State average weekly wage (SAWW).

Biomechanics (working group of the National

6/ Indiana:  Yes, if traumatic injury.

Academy of Sciences)

7/ Kentucky:  Benefits for hearing loss of at least 8% impairment are based

ANSI - American National Standards Institute

solely on AMA guidelines.

N/A - Not Available

8/ Louisiana:  No hearing loss schedule.

9/ Michigan:  Hearing loss compensation based on wage loss.

10/ Nebraska:  Loss of hearing in both ears constitutes permanent total

disability.

11/ Nevada:  Currently rating physicians and chiropractors rate hearing loss according to the AMA

Guides to the Evaluation of Permanent Impairment, 5th Edition; ratings are subject to

Nevada's apportionment statutes and regulations.

12/ New Jersey:  As per NJSA 34:15-35.11 sections c and d, "Prolonged exposure"

means exposure to hazardous noise in employment for a period of at

least 1 year and "Habitual exposure" means exposure to noise exceeding

the allowable daily dose, at least 3 days a week for at least 40 weeks each year.

13/ New York:  Requires notice within 2 years or 90 days of knowledge that hearing loss

is or was due to nature of employment.

TABLE 20.  OCCUPATIONAL HEARING LOSS STATUTES (cont.)

14/ North Dakota:  No longer scheduled injury-determined as a percentage of

whole body impairment.

15/ South Dakota, and Utah:  Monaural loss is determined as a

percentage of binaural loss.

16/ Texas: 1 year from date of injury or 1 year from date knew or should have known occupational

disease was related to employment.

17/ Washington State:  Benefits based on percentage of disability, or combina-

tion thereof, at the time of injury or date of manifestation. OHL claims must be

filed within 2 yrs of the date of last injuries exposure to occupational noise

covered under this title.  An OHL claim that is not timely filed can only be allowed

for medical aid benefits.