If you
submitted a claim for a general disability pension, we will examine your medical condition as
well as your capacity for work and earning ability.
In the first stage we will examine your medical
disability (degree of medical disability). If the medical disability is of the
degree determined by law, we will proceed to the second stage, when we will
examine whether your medical disability prevents you from working (either
completely or partially), and then a disability degree will be determined for
you.
The claimant is usually is summoned to appear personally
before the Medical Board.
Stage A: determining the medical disability
degree
The Medical Board determines your disability degree based on the list of medical
impairments in the National Insurance Regulations. The list contains a
predetermined disability percentage for each medical impairment.
For example: for someone whose leg was severed at the hip
joint, the doctor will determine a medical disability degree of 80%, according
to article 47 (6)(a) of the impairment list.
List of impairment and disability degree
Determining a disability degree for two or more medical
impairments
If the examinee has several impairments, and the doctor
determined degrees for each one separately, the overall disability degree will
be determined according to a weighted calculation of the various medical
disability degrees (and not as the accumulation of their sums).
For example:
if the doctor determines a medical disability for two
impairments thus:
The first in the back – 20%. The second in the leg – 10%.
The calculation is made thus:
20% for back (20% back disability calculated
out of 100%)
+
8% for leg (10% leg disability calculated out
of 80%. These are the remaining percentages left after the deduction of the 20%
disability for the back out of the possible 100%).
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A total of 28% weighted percentage
Medical impairments which are not taken into account when
determining disability degree (“sifted impairments”):
In the list of there are medical impairments, that do not
affect the work capacity or earning ability, meaning that they are taken into
account when determining the overall disability degree.
For example:
If someone has undergone the removal of two ribs from one
side, and the doctor determined a medical disability of 10% for him according
to impairment article 38(1)(b)(4), this percentage will not be taken into
account when determining the overall disability degree (“sifted impairment”).
Stage B: determining incapacity degree
After a
medical disability percentage has been determined for you, you will move to
stage B to determine your degree of incapacity. In the process, a team consisting
of, a doctor, a rehabilitation officer, and a claims officer examine to what extent does your medical disability influence your working capacity and your earning
ability – your ability to return to your work or to work in another occupation
(based on your education, physical fitness, and health).
There are four degrees of incapacity: 60%, 65%, 74% and
100%.
If, according to the doctor’s opinion, you are able to
return to work full time or part time, you will be summoned to a meeting with a
rehabilitation officer.
Determining a incapacity degree for women
There are two tracks for examining women's incapacity
degree: a “salaried employee” track and a “housewife” track. In determining the
medical disability degree there is no difference between a woman examined in
the salaried employee or housewife track.
In determining the incapacity degree for a housewife, we
examine to what extent do housewife’s impairments impact her capacity to
function in a regular household. The functioning of the housewife is examined
in a special institute for functional assessment.
Appealing against the decision of the Medical Board before the Medical Appeals Board