Temple worker injury

[vannoycr]

I have a member of our ward that serves as a temple worker. She was injured while working at the temple. They and the Temple president have both filled out "Temple Safety and Security Incident Report" forms. She gave a copy to the Bishop along with bills from the Doctor that treated her. The Bishop then gave it all to me (the Financial Clerk) to figure out what to do with it. She seems to be under the impression that the church is responsible to pay the medical bills. How would I go about paying this? What is the policy regarding payment of medical claims while serving in your calling? I just found out that there is Church Activity Medical Assistance through DMBA but I don't think this would be covered by that.

[russellhltn]

I'd call CHQ. I doubt it would be the ward that would be doing that. This sounds like something the professionals at CHQ would be handling.

Check Handbook 2: 13.6.20. It refers you to some other resources.

[lajackson]

She seems to be under the impression that the church is responsible to pay the medical bills. . . . I just found out that there is Church Activity Medical Assistance through DMBA but I don't think this would be covered by that.

In my personal experience (not me, but as a leader), the member insurance is always primary and pays first. Then you submit a claim to DMBA under the Church Activity policy. I believe working at the temple would count.

So in this case, I would suggest that the bishop ask the member to file on any individual insurance they have, and then I would prepare a DMBA form for the bishop to sign and submit.

There is a DMBA handbook (it might even be online) that explains how Church Activity Insurance works. Another help for the bishop in visiting with the member is to know that the Church is self-insured. Anything the Church pays comes out of the tithing funds of the Church.

[russellhltn]

Check Handbook 2: 13.6.20. It refers you to some other resources.

Which gives a link to Handbook 2: 13.6.9, which in turn references https://www.dmba.com/churchactivity/

I'd recommend reading all of the links provided (which shouldn't take more than a couple of minutes), but the last one is where things happen.

To be blunt about it, the ward doesn't cut any checks and the bishop is not to make any specific promises.

[vannoycr]

Thanks for your reply's. Your replies all agree with what I found. Anything you do as part of your calling is covered by the Church Activity Medical Assistance program (CAMA). CAMA is not an insurance program. In speaking with DMBA there is a new process for using CAMA that just started in September 2017. You first need to the file an incident report at incidents.lds.org. Part of the incident report will ask if medical assistance was needed beyond basic first aid. If you answer Yes then the incident report will also be directed to CAMA to start the process for getting medical costs covered. The medical costs must first be paid by the persons personal insurance carrier. CAMA will cover the rest within certain limits. I believe it is up to $15,000 or for 3 years (if longer term care is needed) - whichever comes first. The person will give their medical provider their CAMA account information as a secondary insurance.