What A Federal Employee Should Do When Injured At Work

Every job-related injury should be reported as soon as possible to your supervisor. Injury also means any illness or disease that is caused or aggravated by the employment as well as damage to medical braces, artificial limbs and other prosthetic devices.

Before you obtain medical treatment, ask your supervisor to authorize medical treatment by use of form CA-16. You may initially select the physician to provide necessary treatment. This may be a private physician or, if available, a local Federal medical officer/hospital. Emergency medical treatment may be obtained without prior authorization. Take the form CA-16 and form OWCP-1500/HCFA-1500 to the provider you select. The form OWCP-1500/HCFA 1500 is the billing form physicians must use to submit bills to OWCP. Hospitals and pharmacies may use their own billing forms. On occupational disease claims form CA-16 may not be issued without prior approval from OWCP.

In traumatic injuries, complete the employee’s portion of Form CA-1. Obtain the form from your employing agency, complete and turn it in to your supervisor as soon as possible, but not later than 30 days following the injury. For occupational disease, use form CA-2 instead of form CA-1. For more detailed information carefully read the “Benefits …” and “Instructions …” sheets which are attached to the Forms CA-1 and CA-2.

A “Receipt” of Notice of Injury is attached to each Form CA-1 and Form CA-2. Your supervisor should complete the receipt and return it to you for your personal records. If it is not returned to you, ask your supervisor for it.

If disabled due to traumatic injury, you may claim continuation of pay (COP) not to exceed 45 calendar days or use leave. A claim for COP must be submitted no later than 30 days following the injury (the form CA-1 is designed to serve as a claim for continuation of pay). If disabled and claiming COP, submit to your employing agency within 10 work days medical evidence that you sustained a disabling traumatic injury. If disabled beyond the COP period, or if you are not entitled to COP, you may claim compensation on form CA-7 or use leave. If disabled due to occupational disease, you may claim compensation on form CA-7 or use leave. A claim for compensation for disability should be submitted as soon as possible after it is apparent that you are disabled and will enter a leave-without-pay status.

The Federal Employees’ Compensation Act (FECA) is administered by the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Workers’ Compensation Programs (OWCP). Benefits include continuation of pay for traumatic injuries, compensation for wage loss, medical care and other assistance for job-related injury or death. For additional information about the FECA, read pamphlet CA-11, ”When Injured at Work” or Federal Personnel Manual, Chapter 810, Injury Compensation, available from your employing agency. The agency will also give you the address of the OWCP Office which services your area.

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This info was taken from the dol.gov website.

What forms should be filed to start the OWCP claims process?

CA-1 Form

Traumatic Injury Form
A traumatic injury is something that happened in a single work shift. If you can link an injury to a specific incident during a specific work shift, this is the appropriate form.

CA-2 Form

Occupational Disease Form
If the condition happened because of events in more than one work shift, the condition is an occupational disease. In that case, this would be the appropriate form.