Support NPs ability to diagnose and treat a workplace injury under the Federal Employees’ Compensation Act (FECA)
Posted 2 months ago in Legislation
On Monday, September 23, the U.S. House of Representatives is scheduled to vote on H.R. 618, the Improving Access to Workers’ Compensation for Injured Federal Workers Act. H.R. 618 would modernize the Federal Employees Compensation Act (FECA) to authorize NPs to certify and oversee the care for injured federal employees, consistent with state law.
Email your Representative today and urge them to vote YES on this legislation.
Currently, the majority of states authorize NPs to diagnose and treat a workplace injury under the state workers’ compensation program. However, federal employees face additional barriers in accessing care when injured at work because the Federal Employees’ Compensation Act (FECA) requires that only a physician can make the diagnosis, certify the injury and extent of the disability, and oversee a patient’s treatment and care for any federal employee who is injured at work. This barrier places an additional burden on the nearly 2 million federal employees, depriving them from receiving health care from their provider of choice as well as hindering timely access to care and continuity of care.
Urge your Representative to vote YES on H.R. 618 on the House Floor on Monday, September 23.