OWCP & Federal Workers' Comp Questions, Answered by a Bronx DOL Clinic

OWCP is the Office of Workers' Compensation Programs, a division of the U.S. Department of Labor. Its Division of Federal Employees' Compensation administers workers' compensation for federal civilian employees under the Federal Employees' Compensation Act (FECA). When people say "OWCP claim," "DOL claim" or "federal comp," they mean a claim under this program.

FECA is the federal law that provides medical care, wage-loss compensation and other benefits to federal civilian employees injured on the job or who develop an occupational disease from their work. It covers employees of every federal agency — USPS, VA, TSA, DHS components such as CBP and ICE, the Bureau of Prisons, DoD civilians, SSA, IRS and others. It does not cover military service members (who use the VA system) or, generally, private contractors working for federal agencies.

They are entirely separate systems. Federal employees file with the Department of Labor's OWCP, not the New York State Workers' Compensation Board. FECA has its own claim forms (CA-1, CA-2, CA-7, CA-16, CA-17, CA-20), its own provider enrollment, its own fee schedule, and its own standards for medical evidence. A doctor who treats state comp or no-fault patients is not automatically enrolled with OWCP and may not know what OWCP claims examiners require.

A provider who has enrolled with the Department of Labor's OWCP medical bill processing system and can bill OWCP directly for authorized treatment on an accepted claim. Federal Injury Specialists is enrolled, so authorized care is billed to OWCP with no co-pay, deductible or balance bill to you. If a provider is not enrolled, OWCP will not pay them, and you may be billed personally.

No. We are a private medical practice enrolled as an OWCP provider. We are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or an agent of the Department of Labor, OWCP, the U.S. Postal Service or any federal agency. Claim decisions are made only by OWCP claims examiners.

Form CA-1 (Notice of Traumatic Injury) is for an injury caused by a specific event or events during a single work shift — a fall, a lifting injury, a dog bite on a route, a vehicle accident on duty. Form CA-2 (Notice of Occupational Disease) is for a condition that develops over more than one shift because of your job — carpal tunnel, tendinitis, a back condition from repetitive lifting. If you're not sure which applies, we'll help you sort it out at your first visit.

Most federal employees file electronically through ECOMP (ecomp.dol.gov), the Department of Labor's online portal; USPS employees may also file through their agency's own system. You complete the employee section, your supervisor completes the agency section, and the form is submitted to OWCP. File as soon as possible after the injury.

Notice of a traumatic injury should be given within 30 days to protect continuation of pay (see below). The legal time limit to file a FECA claim is generally three years from the date of injury — or, for an occupational disease, three years from the date you became aware, or reasonably should have been aware, that the condition was related to your work. Don't wait: late filing is one of the most common reasons claims run into trouble.

Form CA-16 (Authorization for Examination and/or Treatment) is issued by your employing agency for a traumatic injury. It authorizes a physician to examine and treat you and guarantees payment for up to 60 days while OWCP reviews the claim. Ask your supervisor or your agency's injury compensation specialist for a CA-16 when you report the injury; agencies are expected to issue it promptly. Bring it to your first visit — our physician completes Part B. CA-16s are not issued for occupational disease (CA-2) claims.

OWCP requires a medical report from a qualified physician that includes the history of injury as you described it, examination findings, a diagnosis, the physician's opinion on how the injury or condition is causally related to your federal employment (with medical reasoning, not just a conclusion), and your work capacity or restrictions. This "narrative report" is the single most important document in your claim, and writing it correctly is the core of what Federal Injury Specialists does.

Yes. Under FECA, an injured federal employee has the right to select a qualified physician of their choice for initial treatment. You do not have to use a doctor selected by your supervisor, your agency or an agency contractor. If you've already seen a doctor and want to change, OWCP generally requires you to request approval for the change in writing — we can help with that.

FECA defines "physician" to include medical doctors (MD), doctors of osteopathy (DO), podiatrists, dentists, clinical psychologists, optometrists and — only for manual manipulation of the spine to correct a subluxation demonstrated by X-ray — chiropractors. Physical therapists, nurse practitioners and physician assistants are not "physicians" under FECA, so they cannot serve as your attending physician or sign the CA-16, CA-17 or CA-20. That's why Federal Injury Specialists is physician-led: Eugene Liu, MD, is the attending physician for our OWCP patients.

You may see any qualified physician, but a claim is only as strong as the medical report. A physician who treats OWCP patients regularly knows what the claims examiner is looking for — causal relationship stated with reasoning, objective findings, specific restrictions — and how to keep CA-17 duty-status updates flowing. Our Medical Director is a fellowship-trained spine and musculoskeletal specialist, which matches the majority of federal work injuries we see.

OWCP may schedule you for a "second opinion" examination with a physician it selects, and if that opinion conflicts with your attending physician's, an impartial "referee" examination. Attendance is required. Your treating physician's well-reasoned reports are what OWCP weighs against those opinions, which is another reason thorough documentation matters from day one.

Yes, when it is prescribed by a qualified physician for an accepted work-related condition. At Federal Injury Specialists, Dr. Liu evaluates your injury and prescribes physical therapy that is delivered in the same clinic by our licensed physical therapists, so your medical documentation and your rehabilitation stay coordinated.

Not for authorized treatment on an accepted claim. OWCP pays enrolled providers directly under its fee schedule, and providers may not bill you for the difference. If a claim is denied, or a service isn't authorized, you could be responsible — which is why we confirm authorization before treatment whenever possible.

Routine office visits and physical therapy on an accepted condition are generally covered; certain services — some imaging, injections, surgery, extended therapy — require prior authorization through OWCP's medical authorization system. Our case manager submits and tracks those requests so you don't have to.

For a traumatic injury, yes: Form CA-16 from your agency authorizes examination and treatment for up to 60 days while OWCP decides the claim. For occupational disease claims there is no CA-16, and treatment before acceptance is at your own risk of non-payment — we'll talk through options with you.

OWCP generally reimburses reasonable travel expenses for medical care on an accepted claim, typically within a set distance, submitted on OWCP's medical travel refund form. Keep your mileage and receipts; our front desk can point you to the form.

Form CA-17 (Duty Status Report) is completed by your attending physician to tell your agency and OWCP whether you can work, and with what restrictions — lifting limits, hours, standing, etc. Agencies use it to offer light or limited duty. Keeping CA-17s current and consistent with the medical record matters for both your job and your compensation.

Form CA-20 (Attending Physician's Report) is the physician's report of your history, findings, diagnosis, treatment and the causal relationship between your condition and your work. OWCP usually asks for a CA-20 or an equivalent narrative report to adjudicate the claim. Our physician completes it and attaches a full narrative.

Form CA-7 (Claim for Compensation) is the form you file to claim wage-loss compensation once continuation of pay ends or when you have no COP entitlement, and it is also used to claim a schedule award. It's filed through ECOMP, usually every two weeks while you are out of work, and must be supported by medical evidence of disability for the period claimed.

Form CA-2a (Notice of Recurrence) is filed when a previously accepted injury flares up or your disability returns after you've gone back to work, without a new injury. Medical evidence must explain how the recurrence relates to the original accepted condition.

For a traumatic injury reported on a CA-1 within 30 days, your agency continues your regular pay for up to 45 calendar days of disability. COP is paid by your agency, not OWCP, and requires medical evidence supporting your inability to work. It does not apply to occupational disease (CA-2) claims.

If you're still unable to work, you file Form CA-7 to claim wage-loss compensation from OWCP. Compensation is generally paid at two-thirds of your pay rate, or three-fourths if you have dependents, and is not taxed. Each CA-7 period must be supported by medical evidence from your attending physician.

A schedule award is compensation for permanent impairment of certain body parts listed in FECA — arms, legs, hands, feet, eyes, hearing, and organs such as the lungs — after you've reached maximum medical improvement. The impairment is rated by a physician using the AMA Guides to the Evaluation of Permanent Impairment (currently the Sixth Edition). Back and neck injuries are not on the schedule directly, though impairment of the extremities caused by a spine injury can be rated. Ask us whether a schedule award evaluation is appropriate for your case.

Yes, and in many cases your agency will offer a limited-duty assignment based on the restrictions on your CA-17. Accepting suitable light duty does not close your claim; medical care continues on the accepted condition. Refusing a job offer OWCP finds suitable can affect compensation, so talk with us before responding to a job offer.

The most common reasons are medical: no diagnosis, no physician's opinion on causal relationship, an opinion without medical reasoning, or reports signed by someone who isn't a "physician" under FECA. Other causes are late filing, incomplete forms and inconsistencies between the CA-1 history and the medical record. Many denials are fixable with a proper narrative report.

A FECA decision can be challenged three ways: a request for reconsideration to OWCP (within one year of the decision) with new evidence; a request for an oral hearing or review of the written record before OWCP's Branch of Hearings and Review (within 30 days); or an appeal to the Employees' Compensation Appeals Board (within 180 days), which reviews the existing record only. Each has different rules and deadlines. We can provide the supplemental medical reports a reconsideration usually needs; for representation, consult an attorney or representative experienced in FECA claims.

Not for most accepted claims with straightforward medical care. Representation can be valuable for denials, terminations of benefits, disputed schedule awards or suitable-work disputes. Federal Injury Specialists is a medical practice and does not provide legal advice, but we work alongside your representative and provide the medical documentation your case needs.

531 West 235th Street, Bronx, NY 10463, in Riverdale/Kingsbridge near the 231st Street and 238th Street stops on the 1 train. Hours: Monday–Friday 8:30 AM–5:00 PM, Saturday 9:00 AM–3:30 PM, closed Sunday. Call (718) 432-1323 or text (347) 697-5583.

A photo ID; your Form CA-16 if your agency issued one; your OWCP claim number if the claim has already been filed; a copy of your CA-1 or CA-2; any imaging, test results or records from other providers; a list of medications; and the name and contact information of your agency's injury compensation specialist or supervisor. Don't have all of these? Come anyway — we'll help you gather what's missing.

Plan on about 60 minutes. Dr. Liu takes a detailed history of the injury, examines you, orders imaging if needed, documents the diagnosis and the causal relationship to your job, and, when appropriate, prescribes physical therapy that can begin in the same building.

Civilian employees of every federal agency across the Bronx, Manhattan, Yonkers and Westchester: USPS letter carriers, clerks and mail handlers; VA employees, including James J. Peters VA Medical Center staff; TSA officers; CBP, ICE, FBI, U.S. Marshals and Bureau of Prisons personnel; DoD civilians; and SSA, IRS, HUD, EPA, GSA and other agency employees.

Yes. Our owner and clinical director, Alex Sherman, PT, is fluent in Russian.

Federal Injury Specialists is dedicated to federal workers' compensation (DOL/OWCP) cases. If you're not a federal employee, call (718) 432-1323 and our front desk will point you to the right care.