The OWCP Field Nurse Program is Voluntary
Jesse Slade - OWCP Specialist • March 27, 2020
The OWCP Field Nurse Program is Voluntary
Recently, I stumbled on a July 2018 article on a blog written by a law firm that claiming they have been assisting injured federal employees since 1994. The article was about OWCP field nurses.
According to this law firm, a claimant should be as cooperative as possible with an OWCP field nurse.
The article says:
"First, it is important that you remain calm and concede to have a nurse attached to your OWCP federal workers’ compensation case. This is because refusal would look like you are being uncooperative which might make FECA cut off or reduce your payouts. As such, you should speak to the attending nurse and accept their requests to attend your doctor’s visits. However, resist the urge to tell them about your condition should they ask you; this is because they are not on your side and may just be looking for a loophole or piece of information to influence OWCP’s decision to take you off compensation. Your answers should be ‘yes’ or ‘no’, and should always refer them to your physician the minute they start asking convoluted medical questions."
The article goes on to say:
"...it’s in your best interests to be as cooperative as you can without being verbose to avoid sabotaging your compensation."
The only accurate part of this statement is that OWCP’s field nurse is not on your side and is looking for a way to sabotage your claim.
The Federal Employees Compensation Act or FECA doesn't cut off your benefits. FECA is the law, the Act under which OWCP benefits are paid.
The OWCP field nurse program is VOLUNTARY
. You DO NOT
have to "concede" to have an OWCP field nurse attached to your claim and you don't have to be cooperative.
OWCP CANNOT
reduce or suspend your benefits if you are "uncooperative" with their field nurse. Being "uncooperative" doesn't "sabotage" your claim because the field nurse program is VOLUNTARY
.
You DO NOT
have to allow a field nurse to attend your medical appointments and you DO NOT
have to allow a field nurse access to your doctor or refer them to your doctor if they ask medical questions because OWCP’s field nurse is VOLUNTARY
.
OWCP’s regulations are extremely complicated and claims are complex. Many out there claim to be OWCP experts but don’t even know the basics and that inexperience can have disastrous results to a TSO with a work-related injury.
At LEOS Protection, we have the knowledge and experience to handle the complexities of OWCP claims, and we work hard to protect your rights.
LEOS Protection membership helps employees punch far above their weight...
The United States Equal Employment Opportunity (EEOC) has issued its final guidance on 'Enforcement Guidance on Harassment in the Workplace'.
Majority SCOTUS opinion sets a lower bar for forced transfer claims.
CBP took similar actions against female employees once advised of pregnancy.
Michelle Bartlett and Nicholas Wieczorek Disability Annuity for federal employees
Effective 09/28/2020, you can electronically receive and respond to letters from OWCP directly through your ECOMP Dashboard. If OWCP sends you a letter requiring a response, it will now appear in your ECOMP dashboard under the “Action Required” tab. You can respond online and attach documents to your response. A video tutorial is also available in ECOMP’s Help Menu under User Guides / Injured Worker / Introduction. If OWCP sends you an informational-only letter, it will only appear in your Case View, which you cannot access from your dashboard. To access your Case View, you must click on the case number from your dashboard. The second change also takes effect today, September 28, 2020, when OWCP will start using 202-513-6860 as the sole telephone number where you can reach them from 9:30 a.m. – 6:30 p.m. ET, Monday – Friday (except for federal holidays). This new voice line will replace the current 12 FECA district office telephone numbers and provide you direct access to your assigned Claims Examiner.
PUBLIC LAW 116–157 AUG. 14, 2020 - The Safeguarding America’s First Responders Act was signed into law clarifying COVID-19 related entitlements and benefit claims.
Federal Employees Performing Military Duties During COVID-19
COVID-19 FECA, Telework, & Hiring Guidance from Federal Agencies
