West Virginia pays eligible emergency medical workers partial disability benefits

The Emergency Medical Services Retirement System pays monthly benefits to members who qualify for duty-related partial disability. Payments cover retirement system members disabled during employment covered by the system. The disability must result from a risk tied to the job or occur while performing emergency medical services, during scheduled hours or at another time. Two doctors, including one chosen by the retirement board, must find after an examination that the member cannot adequately perform emergency medical services officer duties. The law took effect June 12, 2026. Average pay uses the 12-month contribution period before the award, or the shorter period worked. Payments begin the first day of the month following both employment ending and the retirement board receiving the application.

The law defines partial disability by a member's health condition and ability to work. The definition applies under the Emergency Medical Services Retirement System law. A medically established physical or mental condition must prevent the member from doing the covered job. It must be expected to cause death, have lasted at least 12 continuous months, or be expected to last that long. Members may retain the ability to do other paid work available in West Virginia, but that ability must not let them earn at least two-thirds of active plan members' average annual pay. This definition applies unless federal law, federal rules, or the context clearly requires a different meaning. The earnings comparison uses the plan year ending on the most recent June 30 whose data has been assembled and used to assess the plan's finances.