Current through Register Vol. 42, No. 5, February 29, 2024
(1) As specified in Code of Ala.
1975, §
22-9A-14, the
fact of death and the cause of death shall be provided by the appropriate
medical certifier if the cause of death can be determined at the time of
death.
(2) To meet the 48-hour time
limit specified in Code of Ala. 1975, §
22-9A-14, if
the cause of death cannot be immediately determined, or if the cause of death
information is incomplete, the medical certifier shall certify that the death
did occur and shall indicate that the cause of death is "Pending" or provide
the information about the cause of death that is known at the time he or she
certifies to the fact of death.
(a) Upon
obtaining information to determine the cause of death, the medical certifier
shall forward the cause of death to the State Registrar as provided in Code of
Ala. 1975, §
22-9A-14(e),
in a format that contains the same information as the medical certification
portion of the current death certificate and provides sufficient information to
identify the deceased individual.
(b) In the absence of the original medical
certifier, the cause of death information shall be determined and forwarded to
the State Registrar by one of the following:
1. If the death occurred in an institution,
the chief medical officer of the institution shall forward the cause of death
to the State Registrar;
2. If the
medical certifier was a coroner, the current coroner in the same county where
death occurred shall forward the cause of death to the State
Registrar;
3. If the medical
certifier was a medical examiner, another medical examiner in the same office
as the medical examiner who originally completed the medical certification
shall forward the cause of death to the State Registrar;
4. If the death occurred outside an
institution and the original medical certifier was a physician in a group
practice, another physician in that practice shall provide the cause of death
to the State Registrar; or
5. If
none of the above situations apply, the State Registrar may accept information
on the cause of death from another physician, medical examiner, or coroner who
has knowledge of the facts of the cause of death provided a sufficient
explanation can be made as to why the original medical certifier cannot provide
the cause of death.
(3) If, after completing the cause of death,
the medical certifier wishes to provide supplemental information or make a
change to the cause of death, that medical certifier shall forward the
supplemental information or the changed cause of death to the State Registrar
in a format that contains the same information as the medical certification
portion of the current death certificate and provides sufficient information to
identify the deceased individual.
(a) Only
the medical certifier who originally provided the cause of death information
may make a change to the cause of death or provide supplemental information
about the cause of death.
(b)
Notwithstanding subparagraph (a) above, if the original medical certifier is
deceased or cannot be located, the State Registrar may accept information to
supplement or change the cause of death from another physician, medical
examiner, or coroner who has knowledge of the facts of the cause of death only
in circumstances where a sufficient explanation can be made as to why the
original medical certifier cannot provide the information. If a sufficient
explanation cannot be provided to satisfy the State Registrar, a cause of death
will not be supplemented or changed.
(4) A death certificate that has information
provided to complete, supplement, or change the cause of death is not
considered to be an amended record. However, if the cause of death is shown
when certified copies are issued, death certificates having supplemental
information on the cause of death shall clearly show the original cause of
death along with the supplemental information on the cause of death and
appropriate information to indicate how the cause of death has been completed,
supplemented, or changed.
Author: Dorothy Harshbarger
Statutory Authority:
Code of Ala.
1975, §§
22-9A-2,
22-9A-6,
22-9A-14.
