• Menu
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary navigation
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Before Header

  • About
  • Search
  • Resources
  • Privacy
  • Contact
 

Amaxx Workers Comp Blog

Reduce Workers Compensation Costs By 20-50%

Header Right

  • Home
  • Books
    • Big Book
    • Mini Book
  • Training
    • WC Mastery Membership
    • Course Curriculum
    • Certified Master of Workers’ Compensation
    • Certified Master of WC – Best in Class
  • Coaching
    • CompElite Strategic Coaching for Employers
    • BrokerElite Coaching for WC Business Growth
  • Software
  • Blog
  • Advertising

Mobile Menu

  • Home
  • Books
    • Big Book
    • Mini Book
  • Training
    • WC Mastery Membership
    • Course Curriculum
    • Certified Master of Workers’ Compensation
    • Certified Master of WC – Best in Class
  • Coaching
    • CompElite Strategic Coaching for Employers
    • BrokerElite Coaching for WC Business Growth
  • Software
  • Blog
  • Advertising
  • About
  • Search
  • Resources
  • Privacy
  • Contact
You are here: Home / Federal Workers Compensation / Understanding Federal Workers’ Compensation Claims

Understanding Federal Workers’ Compensation Claims

February 3, 2016 By //  by Michael B. Stack 3 Comments

Federal workers’ compensation claims are a growing area of business for many third party administration companies. With this growth comes an opportunity for team members to learn a new line of work and enhance the services they provide.

 

 

Quick Background on Federal Work Comp

 

The federal workers’ compensation system was established in the early 1900s to deal with work-related injuries sustained by federal employees. This program is administered under the Federal Employees Workers’ Compensation Act, and covers all federal government disability insurance in the United States.

 

Like state-based workers’ compensation programs, this law covers a variety of indemnity and medical benefits. Federal workers with compensable injuries in the workplace are also entitled to various vocational rehabilitation benefits.

 

 

 

How the Federal Workers’ Compensation Operates

 

The federal workers’ compensation program is the responsibility of the Office of Workers’ Compensation Programs (OWCP) within the United States Department of Labor. This office administers the benefits federal workers are entitled to if they claim to or have in fact sustained a compensable workplace injury. Other groups of federal workers’ compensation programs include the following:

 

  • Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program;
  • Federal Employees’ Compensation Program;
  • Longshore and Harbor Workers’ Compensation Program; and
  • Black Lung Benefits Program.

 

 

Understanding Federal Workers’ Compensation Benefits

 

Injured workers under the above programs are entitled to various benefits that are often found in state workers’ compensation programs. The difference lies in the determination and payment lengths of these benefits.

 

  • Continuation of Pay or “COP” is defined under 20 C.F.R. §10.200 and serves as an injured workers wage loss benefits. For most federal work injuries, the injured party is entitled to 100% of their regular pay for a period no longer than 45 calendar days as long as the person is disabled. This percentage is then reduced and the employee continues to receive either total or partial disability benefits until they are reassigned or fully return to work. Unlike their state counterparts, COP is considered “compensation” and therefore taxable under the Internal Revenue Code. It is also subject to retirement and other deductions.

 

  • Medical Benefits. Under the federal workers’ compensation scheme, an injured work is entitled to choose the primary doctor of their choice without objection. The ability to change doctors is limited for subsequent changes. The workers’ compensation plan pays for all reasonable and necessary medical treatment provided it is causally related to the work injury.

 

  • Vocational Rehabilitation. Injured workers under the federal framework are also expected to make efforts to either return to their pre-injury work, or accept a comparable assignment within their work restrictions. Issues regarding return to work can include assignments to a different work shift or other differentiating characteristics.

 

There are also various other factors to consider when dealing with federal workers’ compensation benefits. These factors include the pay grade of an employee, length of service within the federal government and the nature of their work.

 

 

Other Factors to Consider

 

Dealing with federal workers’ compensation matters presents additional issues for parties involved in these cases. This includes strict limitations on the ability of employees to have their benefits discounted or terminated. The use of other traditional methods of cost containment such as utilization review and independent medical examinations is also limited based on statute and practice. If one is not familiar with these practices, it is important to consult an expert or attorney.

 

 

Author Michael Stack, Principal, COMPClub, Amaxx LLC. He is an expert in workers compensation cost containment systems and helps employers reduce their work comp costs by 20% to 50%. He works as a consultant to large and mid-market clients, is co-author of Your Ultimate Guide To Mastering Workers Comp Costs, a comprehensive step-by-step manual of cost containment strategies based on hands-on field experience, and is founder of COMPClub, an exclusive member training program on workers compensation cost containment best practices. Through these platforms he is in the trenches on a working together with clients to implement and define best practices, which allows him to continuously be at the forefront of innovation and thought leadership in workers’ compensation cost containment. Contact: [email protected].

 

 

©2016 Amaxx LLC. All rights reserved under International Copyright Law.

 

Do not use this information without independent verification. All state laws vary. You should consult with your insurance broker, attorney, or qualified professional.

 

Filed Under: Federal Workers Compensation

Related Articles

D-Day and Workers Compensation Claims

D-Day and Workers Compensation Claims

Know Your Federal Acts in Workers Compensation: ADA, ERISA, FMLA

Know Your Federal Acts in Workers Compensation: ADA, ERISA, FMLA

Maritime Workers, The Jones Act, And Workers Compensation Explained

Maritime Workers, The Jones Act, And Workers Compensation Explained

Why Workers Comp Laws Are State, Not Federal

Why Workers Comp Laws Are State, Not Federal

Changes to FECA Reflected at this Year’s Federal Workers’ Compensation Conference

Changes to FECA Reflected at this Year’s Federal Workers’ Compensation Conference

The Best Tidbits of News from the Workers Comp World

The Best Tidbits of News from the Workers Comp World

$39 Million in Illness Compensation Further Clarified

$39 Million in Illness Compensation Further Clarified

Chemical Safety Board Develops New Employee Participation Investigation Policy

Chemical Safety Board Develops New Employee Participation Investigation Policy

MSHA Unveils Numbers from Mine Safety Sweeps

MSHA Unveils Numbers from Mine Safety Sweeps

Workers Compensation News in Brief for February 2012

Workers Compensation News in Brief for February 2012

Amaxx Details 2012 Workers Compensation Management Program Updates

Amaxx Details 2012 Workers Compensation Management Program Updates

California Postal Window Clerk Delivered Some Bad News

California Postal Window Clerk Delivered Some Bad News

Free Download

5-Step Sequence to Coordinate Return-to-Work with ADA Compliance - FREE Download Click Here Now!

Train to Succeed

BECOME CERTIFIED IN WORKERS’ COMPENSATION

Proven Course Catalog & WC Toolbox Give You The Power To Achieve Lower Costs and Better Injured Worker Outcomes

VISIT WORKERS' COMP TRAINING CENTER

Previous Post: « Workplace-NL Notes New Certification Training Registry
Next Post: Injured Workers Leads to Fines Against Ohio Business »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Senior Editor

    February 17, 2016 at 9:01 am

    Thanks Silas, yes, I agree. When you break the system down to it’s core it really is about helping people heal and return to work. The good in that often gets forgotten.

  2. Silas Knight

    February 12, 2016 at 7:41 pm

    Workers compensation has always seemed to be a really confusing thing. However, after my friend got hurt on the job and had to deal with it, I decided that it was best to learn a little bit about workers comp. Just in case. I think it’s really cool that under workers compensation, if an employee is injured on the job, they can choose the doctor without objection, and it pays for the medical procedures. Seems like a good idea!

  3. Elsie Cole

    February 5, 2016 at 3:40 pm

    I had no idea that workers compensation was becoming more and more of a big deal every year. I also was unaware that this is something that was started in the early 1900’s. It definitely seems like it is newer than that. However, it is amazing how many people this system has been able to help over the years.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

FREE DOWNLOAD

5-Step Sequence to Coordinate Return-to-Work with ADA Compliance - FREE Download Click Here Now!

Our Sponsors

Catastrophic and Risk Solutions, Case Management Solutions, and Specialty Networks
 

Injury Management Solution for Employers

Blog Categories

Search Our Archive

Subscribe to Our FREE Newsletter

Return-to-Work Essentials

Footer

Search Our Archive

Search our continually growing archive of over 5,000 articles about Workers' Comp issues.

Quiclinks

  • Calculators
  • Terms & Abbreviations
  • Glossary of WC Premium Terms
  • WC Resources
  • Best Practices
  • Industries
  • Return-to-Work Essentials

RSS Recent Blog Posts

  • From First-Day to Fully Trained: The Overlooked Power of Onboarding in Injury Prevention
  • From Integrity Tests to Physical Exams: A 6-Step Hiring System to Reduce Workers’ Comp Claims
  • The Hidden Costs of a Bad Hire: Why Employers Can’t Afford to Ignore Hiring Risks
SUBSCRIBE TO OUR FEE NEWSLETTER
Let Us Help You Stomp Down the High Cost of Workers' Comp!
Top of Page ↑
  • Home
  • Training Center
  • Search
  • Membership
  • Products
  • Blog
  • About
  • Contact
  • Subscribe
  • Login
Copyright © 2025 Amaxx, LLC. All Rights Reserved. · Privacy Policy / Legal Notice