What to do when you get injured on the job during the Coronavirus Pandemic
ATTENTION ALL CARRIERS THAT HAVE FILED A CLAIM TO OWCP. Once you receive a Development Letter, YOU MUST CONTACT ME IMMEDIATELY. Call 631-789-1616 so we can review your claim to determine what you need to do in order to help get your case approved. Failure to contact me could result in your claim being denied.
When a carrier reports a traumatic injury such as a slip, trip or fall resulting in requiring medical attention, the Postal Service must provide him/ her with the following: a CA-1 Notice of Traumatic injury, a CA-16, Authorization for Examination and or Treatment along with a CA-17. You fill out the front side of the CA-1. The form asks for personal data as well as information regarding the nature of the injury. Towards the bottom of form CA-1, you will see a box to check for either Continuation of Pay (COP) or a box to use your sick / annual leave. COP keeps you in a pay status for up to 45 calendar day for your absence from work due to disability or medical appointments.
FECA gives you the right to select your own physician of your choice. However, during the Coronavirus this may be a problem being able to see your doctor. I have been informed from some of our members that many doctor’s offices are not treating any patients in their offices or not available while this pandemic is going on.
The solution to this problem is to use Tele-doctors; i.e. doctors that can be called for medical guidance 24/7 and who can provide a diagnosis based upon responses obtained from the injured party through a telephonic interview. There are a number of these services that can be found by doing an internet search. OWCP is temporarily accepting medical evidence generated by these medical providers.
Your claim will not be accepted if you are not treated by a physician. Most walk-in medical clinics are staffed by physician assistants or nurse practitioners and OWCP will not accept their diagnoses. Getting medical care from a qualified physician is an essential first step in the OWCP process.
Along with the CA-1, injured workers should receive a CA-16 from their supervisor prior to being treated. Form CA-16 is the form used in traumatic injuries to:
1) Authorize medical treatment
2) Provide an initial medical report. The front of the CA-16 is completed and signed by management and guarantees payment by OWCP to the medical provider.
This permits injured workers from having any out of pocket expenses.
The reverse side of the CA-16 is filled out by the treating physician and ensures that OWCP will immediately receive and review an initial medical report.
Submission of accurate and timely medical reports to OWCP is vital in getting your claim accepted and your medical bills and wage-loss compensation paid. In far too many cases, postal management does not issue a CA-16 or fails to complete the form properly. When OWCP receives the initial medical report late or not at all, this results in delay of acceptance of claims or even denial of claims.
If a carrier receives a “Development Letter” from OWCP (which gives him/her 30 days to respond) and he/she cannot get a medical appointment during that period (due to the Coronavirus), a written request for an extension can be requested from OWCP. Granting of the extension will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis and will be dependent on the circumstances as described by the claimant.
Do not feel intimidated in exercising your rights when injured on the job. Report any injury immediately to your supervisor and demand a CA-1 and CA-16. Postal Managers are required to have the forms on hand and can easily download them from their computers on the postal network.
Protect yourself and take the time to review and ensure that all forms are accurate. Always make copies of completed forms, CA-1, CA-16 and CA-17, as well as accident and medical reports. Keeping an up to date file of injury related documents will be helpful in establishing your claim.
Due to these trying times it is also important to continue social distancing, make good decisions, stay healthy and remain positive. Wear the protective gear the Postal Service provides and help flatten the curve.
