Archive for August, 2012

Traumatic or Occupational Injury? Part 2

Friday, August 17th, 2012

To continue our discussion about filing a new claim with the Office of Workers Compensation Programs, let’s look at the CA-2 form:

A CA-2 is a Notice of Occupational Disease form. These are used when your injury occurred over a period of time due to repetitive motion or exposure. A good example of an occupational injury is Carpal Tunnel Syndrome or CTS.

Again, it is imperative that your doctor understand the importance of a good causation report. Any objective test findings should accompany his detailed narrative explaining the history of the injury. This is where having a physician that is familiar with the OWCP can really pay off.

Many doctors are never questioned on their opinions, but the federal workers compensation system is deferent. They make a habit of requiring doctors to go above and beyond their normal practice scope to prove that the injury occurred as a result of performing the federal service.

Using FedDoctor.com can be helpful when trying to locate a local doctor who understands what the OWCP is asking for. Federal doctors are hard to find, but having one can be the difference in your claim.

Traumatic or Occupational Injury? Part 1

Thursday, August 16th, 2012

Many federal employees that are injured on the job are bombarded with federal claim forms. When filing for a new workers compensation claim, the most common are the CA-1 and CA-2.

The CA-1 is a new claim for traumatic injury. A traumatic injury is when something outside of the patient causes sudden injury. A good example would be twisting a knee while climbing steps, or slipping and falling on a sheet of ice while performing your job. Many traumatic injury are dismissed by the injured employee as minor. This can lead to problems down the road.

If the injured federal employee doesn’t seek medical care, it is hard to establish that the events at work are what actually caused the subsequent injuries. Always report injuries to supervisors and fill our incident reports whenever possible. If you do carry on with the day or even go home before realizing that the injury is severe, report how the event happened whenever you do make it to your doctor.

The OWCP wants for your care provider to explain to them how you were injured. the more detail you can provide the better. It also significantly helps if your doctor is familiar with federal workers compensation rules. Many doctors are familiar with state law workers comp, but few know the federal.

In order to have a good chance at an accepted OWCP claim, your doctor will need to provide the OWCP with documentation concerning his or her opinion regarding the events that caused the injury itself. It doesn’t matter if your knee was hurt previously, if your job made it worse, your doctor will need to outline how the incident on the job worsened your condition.

The more objective findings and diagnostic studies your physician can provide along with their detailed medical narrative and opinion, the higher your chances are of having an accepted federal workers compensation claim.

Use FedDoctor to find a local federal doctor to help you get treatment and documentation for your file.

To be continued…

Why OWCP Requires “Additional Medical Evidence”

Tuesday, August 14th, 2012

Many federal employees that file a workers compensation claim with the OWCP receive a response requesting additional medical evidence before the OWCP will render a decision on their claim. This can be frustrating to the claimant as well as to their treating physician.

Most doctors have little experience working with the OWCP and don’t understand why they won’t connect the dots and approve their patients claim. The unfortunate reality is that the OWCP requires that the cause of injury is well specifically and thoroughly spelled out for them in easy to understand terms.

Many doctors that haven’t spent much time on federal workers compensation cases don’t expect this level of critique for their work, but using diagnostics, objective findings and a detailed narrative are often required for the Office of Workers Compensation Programs  to approve a claim. A “causation report” outlining the history of the injury or aggravation of a preexisting injury can be very important to the acceptance of a claim.

Make sure your doctor has extensive experience with the OWCP and their unusual requirements. If your physician or care provider isn’t familiar with the federal workers compensation system, it may be a good idea to find a doctor who can help you document your claim and work on your medical file. Treatment and recovery are most important, but paperwork and compensation can be the difference in a successful federal claim.

FedDoctor.com is here as a trusted and free resource for federal employees who can’t find a local doctor to take on the OWCP. We scour the nation looking for federal doctors that are both interested in helping and knowledgeable of these situations. Start searching now to find a doctor near you!

Federal Workers Comp Doctors in California

Monday, August 13th, 2012

FedDoctor.com is proud to be helping federal employees find great doctors throughout the country. Currently, most federal workers have a hard time finding quality medical care from physicians that spend the extra time to understand the differences between their own state law and OWCP rules and regulations.

FedDoctor is dedicated to trying to help anyone and everyone with an ongoing federal claim see a doctor who is committed to working on their file. California is off to a great start and federal employees are able to find top quality care providers in both southern and northern parts of the state. With multiple practices in the greater Los Angeles area, Sacramento, and beyond, FedDoctor.com won’t stop until all federal employees have a place to go for care.

If you have been hurt on the job, or you know someone who has, FedDoctor wants to help. Call or click today to get started on your road to recovery.

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