Deciding Supported Living Payment from a medical certificate

The information required on the medical certificate is:

• a diagnosis and
• the impact of the condition on the client's ability to work and
• the likely duration of that effect

Note a psychologist cannot complete a medical certificate for the person who is being cared for when assessing a client's eligibility to Supported Living Payment (caring for a person).

Generally, the client's registered medical practitioner, nurse practitioner, or psychologist (only accepted for restricted work capacity or blindness) will complete a Work Capacity Medical Certificate. However, MSD can accept other medical certificates or assessments, including:

• assessment from client's medical specialist
• NASC (Needs Assessment Service Co-ordination) assessment
• Special education assessment

If the client's eligibility to Supported Living Payment is unclear from the information provided, seek advice from the Regional Health Advisor or Regional Disability Advisor.

A medical certificate for Supported Living Payment can only be signed by a registered medical practitioner, nurse practitioner or psychologist.

To grant Supported Living Payment, MSD must be satisfied from the information available that the client is:

• both permanently and severely restricted in their capacity for work because of a health condition, or injury or disability, from an accident, or condition they have had since birth or
• totally blind

Note totally blind and legally blind are not the same.

If a Work Capacity Medical Certificate is not complete, MSD can either:

• ask the client to contact their registered medical practitioner, nurse practitioner or psychologist to obtain the information required or
• discuss with the client that MSD needs to contact their registered medical practitioner, nurse practitioner or psychologist to request the relevant information

Note the Privacy Statement on the application form allows MSD to contact the medical practitioner, nurse practitioner or psychologist to verify any answers on the medical certificate that are unclear or unanswered.

If a client's eligibility to Supported Living Payment is unclear from the information provided, seek advice from the Regional Health Advisor or Regional Disability Advisor.

MSD will need to obtain the client's consent before contacting their registered medical practitioner, nurse practitioner or psychologist to discuss any information additional to information already provided on the medical certificate. This includes:

• information required to determine eligibility or work obligations that has not been disclosed on the medical certificate, including discussing the impacts of a health condition not included on the medical certificate
• obtaining specialist reports held by the client's medical specialist or general practitioner

In addition to a medical certificate, the client may provide existing reports or assessments. MSD should use all information available to decide the client's eligibility to Supported Living Payment.

Note If a client provides other medical assessments these can be completed by another registered health practitioner.

The client's registered medical practitioner, nurse practitioner or psychologist may indicate on the medical certificate or medical report that they would like MSD to contact them to discuss the client's diagnosis and their capacity for work.

In most cases the registered medical practitioner, nurse practitioner or psychologist will want to discuss the information they have provided on the medical certificate. MSD does not need to obtain the client's consent before contacting their medical practitioner, nurse practitioner or psychologist in these cases.

Note the registered medical practitioner, nurse practitioner or psychologist is required to discuss the information disclosed on the medical certificate at their appointment with the client.

MSD may need to get more current information if either the:

• time between the date the client was assessed and the date the certificate was completed is greater than 20 working days or
• certificate is more than 20 working days old