Key Takeaways
- Every doctor in our directory, plus independent OWCP case managers we work with, offers free case management and claims assistance. Call 888-610-6515.
- Your OWCP claims examiner decides your claim and manages your benefits.
- For some traumatic injuries with time lost from work, OWCP assigns a nurse to coordinate your medical care and return to work.
- Your treating doctor drives the medical side of the case: treatment, reports and work restrictions.
- Prescriptions for an accepted condition are covered, with extra controls on opioids.
What Is OWCP Case Management?
OWCP case management is the coordination of an injured federal employee's claim, medical care and return to work. It involves your OWCP claims examiner, sometimes an OWCP-assigned nurse, your treating doctor and your agency's injury compensation staff, working from the medical evidence to get you treated and back to suitable work.
If you work for the federal government, getting hurt on the job may be the last thing on your mind. Unfortunately, many federal workers are injured every year, and too few see a doctor who understands how a federal workers' compensation case is managed. Knowing who does what helps you keep your claim on track. If you're just starting, read our guide to filing an OWCP injury claim first.
Free Claims Assistance and Case Management
Every doctor in the Find DOL Doctors directory offers free claims assistance and case management to the injured federal employees they treat. So do the independent OWCP case managers we work with: federal workers' comp experts who coordinate claims across multiple providers. There's no cost to you, and you don't have to navigate OWCP alone.
That help can include choosing the right claim form, gathering the medical evidence OWCP asks for, answering development letters on time, and keeping your treatment, work restrictions and wage-loss paperwork in sync. Call 888-610-6515 or use the free search form to get started.
Who Manages Your OWCP Case
OWCP claims examiner
Decides whether your claim is accepted, authorizes treatment, pays compensation and sends you letters requesting information.
OWCP nurse
Assigned in some traumatic injury cases to coordinate your medical care and return to work with your doctor and agency.
Your treating doctor
Treats you, writes the reports OWCP relies on, and sets your work restrictions. You choose this doctor.
Your agency's injury comp staff
Processes your forms, issues the CA-16, and works with OWCP on light duty and return to work. Titles vary by agency.
Vocational rehab counselor
Assigned by OWCP if you can't return to your old job, to help you return to suitable work.
Your representative
A union steward or attorney you choose to help with the claim. Optional, but useful in complex or denied cases.
How OWCP Nurses Help Manage Your Case
OWCP can assign a registered nurse to an injured federal employee's case to coordinate medical care and return to work (20 CFR 10.310). Nurses are often assigned early in traumatic injury cases that involve more than a brief time off work. They may attend key appointments and talk with your doctor and agency.
The nurse works for OWCP's program, not for you or your doctor, but their goal — getting you treated and back to work safely — usually lines up with yours. Cooperate with the nurse: refusing OWCP's nurse services without good reason can affect your benefits.
How Your DOL Doctor Helps Manage Your Case
The medical evidence drives every decision in an OWCP case, so your doctor is at its center. DOL doctors know how to get a condition recognized by the Department of Labor and how essential it is that paperwork is handled promptly and accurately. Find a doctor who takes DOL-OWCP claims near you.
- They're proactive. An experienced doctor already knows how OWCP claims are handled and what comes next, while staying focused on your situation.
- They answer complex questions. They break the process down in language you can understand, so you feel more at ease.
- They put you first. When it feels like you're being shuffled from step to step, a good doctor keeps your recovery the top priority.
Medication Management Under OWCP
Prescriptions your doctor orders for an accepted condition are covered by OWCP, filled through its pharmacy program. Some medications come with extra rules:
- Opioids have limits on new prescriptions
- Longer opioid use needs a letter of medical necessity
- Some drugs need prior authorization
- Medications must relate to the accepted condition
Tell your doctor about every medication you take, including ones for other conditions. If you paid for a covered prescription yourself, you can request reimbursement on Form OWCP-915.
Injury Checklist for Federal Employees
- Report the injury to your supervisor
- Get an incident report if your agency uses one
- File a CA-1 or CA-2 in ECOMP (within 30 days for a CA-1)
- Ask your agency for a CA-16 for a traumatic injury
- Notify your union steward, if you have one
- Choose a treating doctor who knows the DOL-OWCP process
- Keep copies of every form, report and letter
Don't Pay Out of Pocket for Covered Care
Doctors who don't work with OWCP may bill you or your private health insurance for care that OWCP should cover. For an accepted claim, OWCP-enrolled providers bill OWCP directly, and they can't bill you for amounts OWCP's fee schedule reduces (20 CFR 10.813).
If you already paid for covered treatment or prescriptions, file Form OWCP-915 for reimbursement (see reimbursement forms). Medical travel costs go on Forms OWCP-957A (mileage) and OWCP-957B (expenses).
Injured Federal Employees We Help
Our directory connects employees from every federal agency with doctors that treat injured federal workers, including:
- USPS letter carriers & mail handlers
- VA nurses & maintenance staff
- TSA officers
- Bureau of Prisons officers
- DoD civilians
- FBI
- ICE & CBP
- IRS
- & more
Learn more about federal workers' compensation doctors and how FECA works.
OWCP Case Management FAQs
Who manages my OWCP claim?
Your OWCP claims examiner decides and manages your claim. Depending on your case, an OWCP-assigned nurse, a vocational rehabilitation counselor, your agency's injury compensation staff and your treating doctor all play a part. Your doctor's medical reports drive most decisions.
What does an OWCP nurse do?
An OWCP nurse coordinates medical care and return to work, usually early in traumatic injury cases with time lost from work. They may attend key appointments and talk with your doctor and agency. Refusing nurse services without good reason can affect your benefits.
Does OWCP pay for my prescriptions?
Yes, for medications your doctor prescribes for an accepted condition. Opioids have extra controls, including limits on new prescriptions and a letter of medical necessity for longer use. If you paid yourself, request reimbursement on Form OWCP-915.
Should I use my health insurance for a work injury?
For an accepted OWCP claim, treatment should be billed to OWCP, not your private insurance. Enrolled providers bill OWCP directly. If your claim is still pending, ask your doctor's office how they handle billing until it's decided.
Is OWCP case management free?
Through Find DOL Doctors, yes. Every doctor in our directory, and the independent OWCP case managers we work with, offer free claims assistance and case management to injured federal employees. Find DOL Doctors is an independent directory and isn't affiliated with DOL or OWCP.
How do I get free OWCP case management?
Call 888-610-6515 or complete the free one-minute search form on this page. We'll connect you with a DOL-enrolled doctor or an independent OWCP case manager near you.