BOSTON (WHDH) -- The State Retirement Board approved the disability pension of retired Massachusetts State Police Colonel Marian McGovern.

McGovern was diagnosed with a cardiac condition that will require lifelong care. She applied for a disability pension and the state’s retirement board took a vote this morning.

“IT’s been approved for her disability benefit by the state police rating board. We’ll review it to make sure all the documents are in order,” said Nick Favorito, the state retirement board executive director.

McGovern, who retired in June, will get $163,000 per year and won’t have to pay any state or federal taxes on the money. Had the Marshfield woman not won the disability pension she would have had to pay tens of thousands of dollars in federal taxes.

The application was first approved by the state police merit rating board, which includes the current state police superintendent.

“Our practice in these cases is to accept -- acknowledge the receipt of the application and the approval of the merit rating board, we review it to make sure all of the documents are in order and then we pass it along to the public employee…who does the final review,” said Favorito.

McGovern wasn’t head of the state police for long -- she got the job in 2009, leading some 2,200 Mass. state troopers.

A state police spokesman said, “The pension designation is completely merited by Colonel McGovern’s medical situation,” because her prognosis forecasts a serious medical condition which will require more treatment.

McGovern was with the state police for 33 years.