Federal Workers Comp Injuries: Navigating the Forms

By Aiden O'Brien, DC

Virginia Integrative Health & Hyperbaric

. http://www.virginiaintegrativehealth.com/

More Legal and Health Articles

Federal Workers Comp Injuries: Navigating the Forms

All Federal employees work under the umbrella of the Department of Labor (DOL), including employees of the US Postal Service, the VA, TSA, DOD, ICE and many more. When a Federal employee is injured on duty their healthcare is managed through the Office of Worker’s Compensation Programs (OWCP). Most employees don’t fully understand the process of filing a claim, what forms are necessary or even what kind of physician to see. The first form an employee should read to start the process of getting their claim accepted is the CA-10.

A CA-10 Form outlines the process of filing for a claim and what forms an employee should use. It is titled, “What a Federal Employee Should Do When Injured at Work” and is required to be posted at all Federal jobsites. It’s a brief outline of the primary forms necessary for filing a claim. Injuries fall into two categories, traumatic injury or occupational disease, and an employee must use the proper form when filing a claim or it may be denied.

What is a CA-1? A Traumatic Injury

Form CA-1 is used when an employee suffers an acute traumatic injury sustained due to a single incident in the course of an employee’s work duties. Some examples of a traumatic injury include: a motor vehicle collision, falling at work, having something fall on you and injury due to work equipment.

What is a CA-2? A Chronic
Occupational Disease

The CA-2 Form is used when an employee suffers a chronic occupational disease, which is a repetitive motion disease occurring over time due to specific work duties. Some common examples include carpal tunnel syndrome, tendinitis, shoulder impingement syndrome and lateral epicondylitis (tennis elbow). It may take weeks, months or years to notice an occupational disease, but proper treatment can help improve the often painful and inhibitive symptoms.

What is a CA-16? Authorization for 60 Days of Treatment

Form CA-16 must be filled out by the employee and the physician of their choice and be approved to authorize treatment for 60 days. Without this form the physician cannot begin treatment for the patient’s injury or receive compensation from OWCP.

Choosing Where to Go for
Treatment and Claims Assistance

Federal employees can choose any licensed physician for treatment. However, it is important to find a physician who specializes in DOL/OWCP cases to help ensure the claim is accepted. OWCP claims are usually denied because the physician writing the report may not understand how to write a DOL report or what diagnoses they will accept.

Bad Reports = Denied Claims

The reports must show direct causation between the patient’s job and their injury for claim acceptance. When a claim is denied the patient is unable to receive covered treatment and must use their valuable sick and/or vacation leave. Don’t take a chance, do some research and find a knowledgeable effective clinic to help with Department of Labor cases.