Section 22-3-7-2 - Applicability; burden of proof; police and firefighter coverage(a) Every employer and every employee, except as stated in this chapter, shall comply with this chapter, requiring the employer and employee to pay and accept compensation for disablement or death by occupational disease arising out of and in the course of the employment, and shall be bound thereby. The burden of proof is on the employee. The proof by the employee of an element of a claim does not create a presumption in favor of the employee with regard to another element of the claim.(b) This chapter does not apply to the following:(1) A person who enters into an independent contractor agreement with a nonprofit corporation that is recognized as tax exempt under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code (as defined in IC 6-3-1-11(a)) to perform youth coaching services on a part-time basis.(2) A nonprofit corporation that is recognized as tax exempt under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code (as defined in IC 6-3-1-11(a)) to the extent the corporation enters into an independent contractor agreement with a person for the performance of youth coaching services on a part-time basis.(c) This chapter does not apply to employees of municipal corporations in Indiana who are members of: (1) the fire department or police department of any such municipality; and(2) a firefighters' pension fund or a police officers' pension fund. However, if the common council elects to purchase and procure worker's occupational disease insurance to insure said employees with respect to medical benefits under this chapter, the medical provisions apply to members of the fire department or police department of any such municipal corporation who are also members of a firefighters' pension fund or a police officers' pension fund.
(d) When any municipal corporation purchases or procures worker's occupational disease insurance covering members of the fire department or police department who are also members of a firefighters' pension fund or a police officers' pension fund and pays the premium or premiums for the insurance, the payment of the premiums is a legal and allowable expenditure of funds of any municipal corporation.(e) Except as provided in subsection (f), where the common council has procured worker's occupational disease insurance as provided under this section, any member of the fire department or police department employed in the city carrying the worker's occupational disease insurance under this section is limited to recovery of medical and surgical care, medicines, laboratory, curative and palliative agents and means, x-ray, diagnostic and therapeutic services to the extent that the services are provided for in the worker's occupational disease policy so procured by the city, and may not also recover in addition to that policy for the same benefits provided in IC 36-8-4.(f) If the medical benefits provided under a worker's occupational disease policy procured by the common council terminate for any reason before the police officer or firefighter is fully recovered, the common council shall provide medical benefits that are necessary until the police officer or firefighter is no longer in need of medical care.(g) Nothing in this section affects the rights and liabilities of employees and employers had by them prior to April 1, 1963, under this chapter.(Formerly: Acts 1937, c.69, s.2; Acts 1963, c.388, s.1; Acts1974 , P.L. 109, SEC.1.) As amended by Acts1981 , P.L. 11, SEC.126; P.L. 28-1988, SEC.49; P.L. 217-1989, SEC.2; P.L. 201-2005, SEC.6; P.L. 134-2006, SEC.8.