OWCP Tidbits

By Bill Lewis, President Trenton APWU

1. You have a right to seek medical treatment from a physician of your choice.
2. You have a right to decline medical treatment from the UPSP provider.
3. Traumatic injury – medical condition occurred within a single work shift – immediately complete Form CA-1.
4. Occupational disease – medical condition caused or aggravated by work environment over a period longer than one work shift – complete Form CA-2.
5. Form CA-16 – USPS issues this form to you before you seek medical treatment from a health care provider of your choice. This form guarantees payment for most medical treatments for up to 60 days as long as the injury was reported within seven days of occurrence.
6. CA-17 – Form the USPS and physician fill out detailing your physical limitations.
7. COP – Continuation of Pay: Make sure you indicate COP when you complete form CA-1. Form CA-1 must be completed within 30 days of the traumatic injury, and the first day of work stoppage must have occurred within 45 days of the injury. Time lost on the date of the injury is charged to administrative leave. Employees are eligible up to 45 calendar days, which includes non-scheduled days and holidays when medical evidence indicates that disability exists during those time periods. COP entitlement does not pertain to an occupational disease, and you must utilize LWOP, Sick Leave or Annual Leave until your claim is accepted by the Department of Labor.
8. The employer must allow injured workers 10 days to submit medical documentation supporting their absence before they can interrupt COP.
9. WLC – Wage Loss Compensation: Form CA-7 must be completed to claim WLC. Upon receipt, the employer has five working days to complete its portion of the form and submit it to OWCP.

1. COP & WLC – A three-day (3) waiting period, which begins on the first day of disability, must be satisfied before an employee can receive COP or WLC. Non-scheduled days, sick leave and LWOP can be used to satisfy the waiting periods. Waiting periods are waived when there are 14 days of cumulative work stoppage.

OWCP Claim approval is not required for COP to begin, but subsequently denied claims will be subject to repayment.