Section 27-13-7 - Fiscal intermediary; exemptions; workers' compensation.

27-13-7. Fiscal intermediary; exemptions; workers' compensation.

A.     A fiscal intermediary shall not be subject to vicarious liability as an employer or principal for a wrongful act committed by a personal care attendant if the attendant: 

(1)     is not a current or former employee of the fiscal intermediary; 

(2)     has not received training or instruction from the fiscal intermediary with respect to providing personal care services to a person with a disability, not including administrative paper work; 

(3)     has been hired by and received training or instruction from the consumer or the consumer's authorized representative to provide personal care to the consumer; and 

(4)     provides basic assistance with daily living activities that do not require the education, certification or training of a licensed health care practitioner.  

B.     A fiscal intermediary may identify a personal care attendant as a covered employee with the fiscal intermediary's workers' compensation carrier solely to provide workers' compensation coverage in the event of a work-related injury.  Nothing in this subsection shall be construed to create an employer-employee relationship between the fiscal intermediary and the personal care attendant.  

C.     Nothing in this section shall be construed to provide the fiscal intermediary with immunity from a claim for a wrongful act committed by the fiscal intermediary or its employees.  

D.     As used in this section: 

(1)     "consumer" means a person who is eligible for and receives state-funded or -operated services based on the person's disabilities;  

(2)     "fiscal intermediary" means a provider that furnishes administrative assistance for a consumer who selects a consumer-directed, rather than consumer-delegated, personal care program; 

(3)     "personal care attendant" means a person who provides assistance to a consumer with activities of daily living, including bathing, dressing, eating, transportation, shopping and similar activities; and 

(4)     "personal care program" means a  state-funded or -operated support program, including medicaid, that provides the services of a personal care attendant for certain persons with a disability.