Alaska Workers Comp Insurance

The Alaska Workers' Compensation Act requires each employer having one or more employees in Alaska to obtain workers' compensation insurance, unless the employer has been approved as a self insurer. 

There are few exceptions to those who need to be covered under a workers' compensation policy. Generally speaking, those include: sole proprietors in a sole proprietorship; general partners in a partnership; executive officers in a nonprofit corporation, members in a member managed limited liability company, part-time baby-sitters, cleaning persons (non-commercial), harvest help and similar part-time/transient help, sports officials for amateur events, contract entertainers, commercial fishers, taxicab drivers whose compensation is by contractual arrangement, a participant in the Alaska temporary assistance program, and professional hockey team players and coaches if those persons are covered under a health care insurance plan. In addition, executive officers in a for-profit corporation may exempt themselves by filing an Executive Officer Waiver with the department.

AK Workers Compensation Insurance Special Provisions:

• High school students in work study programs are covered under the Act as employees of the state;
• volunteer emergency medical technicians are covered under the Act as employees of the state;
• executive officers of municipal, religious, and nonprofit corporations are not considered to be employees unless the corporation specifically elects to cover them
• special public safety officers appointed by the Commissioner of Public Safety are covered under the Act as employees of the state
• members of state boards and commissions are covered under the Act as employees of the state
• volunteer fire fighters are covered under the act as employees of the local fire department
• individuals engaged in civil defense or in disaster relief functions in Alaska are covered under the Act as employees of the state
• Individual members of the Alaska State Defense Force who have been called into active duty, per AS 26.05.070, are covered under the Act as employees of the State.