Can a Federal Employee get Workers’ Compensation? If you are a federal employee who is injured on the job or who comes into contact with a substance or chemical that makes you ill, you may still be able to file for workers’ comp benefits, but it is a different process. The Federal Employees’ Compensation Act provides federal employees benefits if they have been hurt while on the job. These benefits include reimbursement for medical bills and medication pertaining to the work-related injury. Because you are a government employee, your claim involves you stating that the injury for which you are filing the claim is the result of your duties while working for the U.S. government. Your supervisor has obligations as well, such as telling you that you have the right to choose the medical provider that you choose and that your employer is not to have contact with your medical provider. The paperwork for filing a claim is much different from a public employee’s workers’ comp claim. The Kinds of Forms Filing a workers’ comp claim as a government employee involves completing one of three forms to file, a CA-1, CA-2, or CA-2A form. The CA-1 form is form traumatic injury. If this injury happened during a tour of duty with the military, the employee should also file a Continuation of Pay which requires the insurer to pay the worker 100% of his or her full pay for the first 45 days after suffering the injury. A CA-7 form is completed to get reimbursement of 66.66% for your lost wages if you don’t have a dependent or 75% if you have a dependent. Another form, OWCP 915 Medical Reimbursement Form, must be completed to get reimbursed for travel mileage to medical appointments for tests, physical therapy, and doctor visits related to your work-related injury. You can also get reimbursed for your mileage for traveling to the pharmacy to get medications that are needed to treat your injury. You can only file for reimbursement for mileage up to a year after the travel occurred. There are also claim forms for vocational rehabilitation or for the services of attendants. A Complex Process Because the claims process is very different and requires more paperwork in order to receive all of the different benefits for which you may be eligible, you should consult with a workers’ comp attorney if you are filing for workers’ comp benefits as a government employee. The time limits are much stricter and the claims must be filed much more quickly than with other employers. Because of the detailed paperwork and documentation that is required, you should focus on recovering from your injury and leave the negotiations to the legal professionals. A federal workers’ comp claim may also involve denials and appeals and eventually a hearing before an administrative law judge who will hear the details of the case, look over the documentation, and then make a ruling as to whether the injured worker meets the qualifications for benefits and for which benefits he or she is eligible. Because workers’ comp claims for government employees are very complex, a workers’ comp attorney would be able to handle the process from start to finish and negotiate a fair settlement on your behalf. By leaving the work to the attorney, you can focus on recovering. *The content of this article serves only to provide information and should not be construed as legal advice. If you file a claim against your employer, you may not be entitled to any compensation.
