Medical investigation on pieces since january the first 2007
12-02-2007
The ALS League proudly presents that the procedure concerning the investigation and deliverance of compensations and/or certificates to disabled persons has been simplified. The Directorate-General of Disabled Persons (Federal Administration) has decided that applicants struck by a serious disease/illness are dismissed from the medical investigation and that the application is treated with priority.
Why this special procedure?
In the legislation, every person who did a demand for deliverances or certificates for disabled persons, had to deliver the necessary medical documents and was invited for an interview at the medical services of the Directorate-General for Disabled Persons.
This interview is of course often a necessary step to determine accurately the loss of work ability and/or the ability to cope independently of the applicant. At this time, more than 100.000 applications from adults are topic of the investigation, 20.000 are files of children. On top of that, 20 to 25 % of the applications are leading to a movement by a doctor of the medical service to the residance of the applicant.
This procedure predicates in fact a difficult delay in the investigation of the applications. Mainly, because of the difficulties of planning the visits of the persons, who, because of their disability, can hardly comply with.
On the other hand, the experience from the medecines of the Directorate-General shows that this visit for these disabled persons can be an additional affliction, on top of these whom they already have to face daily.
At last, this experience shows that this visit is not always an indispensable element, in particular if the disease/illness is extremely serious and if the file of the applicant is completely documented on the medical field.
These are the reasons why the Directorate-General has replaced medical investigation on pieces from the application file, in particular by the input of new medical forms.
Applicants younger than 80 years old
To fall under the application of this procedure, the disease/illness of the above mentioned has to be of the following nature:
§ a disease/illness with an unfavourable life prognosis, that demands palliative care taking;
§ a disease/ illness that threatens on short term the life prognosis and that has a major repercussion on the autonomy and that requests a severe treatment;
§ a disease/illness that has a major repercussion on the autonomy and demands a severe treatment and from which it is determined that the evolution in the positive sense remains uncertain on long term, despite therapeutical measures;
Recent specialized and detailed medical reports of at least 6 months old have to be included with the application.
The applicants older than 80 years
To have to fall under this procedure, the above mentioned has to be struck by a disease/illness that involves a major loss of independence (the disease/illness has to have a major repercussion in excecuting the daily activities when it is taken into account in the evaluation of degree of independance). This application has equally to be well documented and motivated.
How to apply?
The application of the investigation on pieces is requested for mutually by the disabled person as the appointed doctor.
In fact, the documents for the submission of the application (form 3 and 4) were adapted with the aim of the request on pieces and the identification and succession within the Directorate-General of Disabled Persons were to be simplified. The treating doctor has to see to it that the sections on the end of the form are filled in and that the necessary documents are added on the form in question. In the interest of the persons struck by a serious disease/illness, to the treating medecine is asked to to look after it that the criteria for this new procedure are sharply been watched.
If this hasn't been the case, then the possibility exists that the appliciation is not treated as a priority and that no decision on pieces will take place. This file wil follow the usual procedure of the medical investigation.
Translation: Anja
Source : www.handicap.fgov.be
