§392-26 Care by physician, advanced practice registered nurse, or equivalent required. (a) An individual shall be ineligible to receive temporary disability benefits with respect to any period during which the individual is not under the care of a person duly licensed to practice medicine, surgery, dentistry, chiropractic, osteopathy, or naturopathic medicine, or an advanced practice registered nurse, who shall certify, in the form and manner specified by rule of the director, the disability of the claimant, the probable duration of the disability, and such other medical facts within the person's knowledge as required by rule.

(b) This section shall not apply to an individual who, pursuant to the teachings, faith, or belief of any group, depends for healing upon prayer or other spiritual means. In that case the disability, the probable duration thereof, and any other pertinent facts required to be certified by regulation of the director shall be certified, in the form and manner specified by the regulation, by a duly authorized or accredited practitioner of such group.

(c) The proof of disability duly certified by a person licensed to practice medicine, surgery, dentistry, chiropractic, osteopathy, or naturopathic medicine, or an advanced practice registered nurse, or an authorized or accredited practitioner of any group that depends for healing upon prayer or other spiritual means shall be submitted by the certifying person to the disabled employee within seven working days after the date on which the employee was examined and found disabled. If the certifying person fails to submit the required proof within seven working days, the director, upon notification by the insurer, may levy a penalty of $25 for each delinquent certification where the certifying person fails to show good cause for the person's failure to file on time. [L 1969, c 148, pt of §1; am L 1971, c 109, §1(b); am L 1973, c 172, §1; am L 1974, c 154, §1; am L 1979, c 105, §41; gen ch 1985; L Sp 2009, c 22, §11(2); am L 2018, c 162, §1]