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Regs out on claiming disability pension
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Posted on Dec 29 2008
The NMI Retirement Fund is proposing rules to streamline the process of claiming disability pension benefits.
The proposed regulations, which appear on the latest issue of the Commonwealth Register, implement a recently enacted law on disability retirement.
Under the new law, a person who wants to claim disability retirement benefits need no longer be evaluated by a vocational rehabilitation counselor. But the law includes a requirement of evaluation by two physicians, one of whom is a specialist in the area of the disability being evaluated.
The public has until Jan. 21, 2009, to comment on the proposed regulations. Comments should be sent to Mark Aguon, administrator of the Retirement Fund.
Proponents of the measure say the previous requirements were too difficult to meet, as counselors at the Office of Vocational Rehabilitation lack medical and psychiatric expertise or credentials to issue disability certifications. This situation, they add, has created a hardship for OVR, for the retirees, and for the Retirement Fund.
In signing the law, Gov. Benigno R. Fitial said, “Although I believe the inclusion of a vocational rehabilitation counselor is still necessary and more foolproof than excluding one, the requirement of a specialized physician is sufficient to deter excessive abuse by claimants.”
