Introduction
This topic covers permanent incapacity for work: how it is defined and graded, who assesses it in Bulgaria, and the role of the Territorial Expert Medical Commission (TEMC) and its Expert Decision.
Working capacity and incapacity
Working capacity is the state that allows a person to accomplish his working obligations. Working incapacity is the state of not being able to work because of illness, trauma, or working conditions that increase the risk of getting ill.
- By duration it is temporary or permanent; by degree of lost capacity it is complete or partial.
- Temporary: the person is unable to work for a certain period and is expected to recover fully and work normally in time.
- Permanent: the pathological changes caused by the disease are progressive and irreversible, so the person cannot work for a long time or forever. It is defined as a percentage of lost ability for work compared with the abilities of the healthy person.