RS 218 - Application and examination procedures; certification of disability
A. Any eligible member of a state or statewide retirement system listed in this Subpart who acquires a disability may apply for disability benefits to the board of trustees of the retirement system of which he is a member. The board of trustees shall require the supervisor of the applicant to submit to the board a report which shall include a brief history of the case and the supervisor's opinion as to the applicant's present ability to perform the normal duties required of him.
B. The applicant's disability case history shall be examined either by that member of the State Medical Disability Board whose area of specialty most closely relates to the nature of the claimed disability or by an outside physician designated by the board. The examining physician shall either conduct a medical examination of the applicant, or waive the medical examination if obvious and overwhelming medical evidence of disability exists to his satisfaction. The cost of the examination, including costs of laboratory tests, X-rays, and other such direct examination procedures shall be borne by the applicant's retirement system; however, all nondirect costs such as hospital room and board charges and other such expenses shall be borne by the applicant. The initial examination shall be completed within six weeks of the date of the applicant's filing for benefits.
C. The examining physician shall submit to the appropriate board of trustees an in-depth report which shall include a medical evaluation and his conclusions as to the applicant's claimed disability. Each member of the State Medical Disability Board and any board designated physician shall have full authority to certify total disability in those applicants whom he examines. An applicant shall be considered certified as having a total disability if in the in-depth report submitted by the examining physician to the board of trustees, the physician declares the applicant to be totally incapacitated for the further performance of his normal duties and states that such incapacity is likely to be permanent. In the case of partial disability, the physician shall indicate the degree of incapacity.
D.(1) Should the examining physician's final certification decision be contested by either the applicant or the applicant's board of trustees, the contesting party shall have the right to a second medical examination if a written appeal is filed within thirty days of notification of the certification decision. This second examination shall be performed by a member of the State Medical Disability Board, or by a board designated physician and shall be at the expense of the requesting party. The second physician shall also submit an in-depth report to the applicant's board of trustees which shall include his medical evaluation and conclusions as to the applicant's claimed disability.
(2) If the second examining physician concurs in the findings and recommendations of the first physician, the first physician's original decision on certification shall stand as final and binding and shall not be subject to further appeal other than through the courts.
(3) If the second examining physician disagrees with the findings and recommendations of the first physician, the two physicians shall select a third specialist to conduct another examination and prepare and file a third report in the same manner as provided for above. The majority opinion of the three examining physicians shall be final and binding and not subject to further appeal other than through the courts. The cost of the third medical examination shall be borne by the retirement system of the applicant if he is certified as having a disability, or by the applicant if his disability claim is denied.
E. The board of trustees of a state or statewide retirement system shall receive a final and binding disability certification from a member of the State Medical Disability Board, or a board designated physician, and retire an eligible disability applicant within one hundred and twenty days of the applicant's date of filing for disability retirement. Disability benefits shall accrue from the filing date of the application for disability retirement, or from the day following the exhaustion of all sick leave or annual leave claimed by the applicant, whichever is the later.
Added by Acts 1978, No. 727, §10, eff. Jan. 1, 1979; Redesignated from R.S. 42:703 by Acts 1991, No. 74, §3, eff. June 25, 1991; Acts 2014, No. 811, §4, eff. June 23, 2014.
NOTE: Acts 2014, No. 811 changed terminology referring to persons with disabilities throughout the La. Revised Statutes and codes of law, and included a listing of terms that were deleted and their respective successor terms (See Acts 2014, No. 811, §36). The Act provides that it is not the intent of the legislature that changes in terminology effected therein alter or affect in any way the substance, interpretation, or application of any law or administrative rule; further provides that nothing in the Act shall be construed to expand or diminish any right of or benefit for any person provided by any law or administrative rule (See Acts 2014, No. 811, §35(C) and (D)).