Federal claims guide
Federal work injuries are handled under the Federal Employees' Compensation Act (FECA) and administered by the Office of Workers' Compensation Programs (OWCP). The medicine is only half the job — the other half is paperwork most people only see once. Here is the whole path, in order.
The one rule to know first
Under FECA, you choose your own treating physician. That right belongs to the injured federal employee — not to the agency, not to a supervisor, and not to us. An agency may require a fitness-for-duty evaluation or arrange a second opinion, but it cannot assign your treating doctor or direct your care. This is the opposite of Missouri state claims, where the employer or insurer generally does direct medical care.
The forms
Form CA-1
Notice of Traumatic Injury
When: A single, identifiable event — a fall, a lift, a vehicle collision, a struck-by injury on one shift.
File it with your agency as soon as possible after the injury. A CA-1 filed promptly is what makes continuation of pay and a CA-16 possible.
Form CA-2
Notice of Occupational Disease
When: A condition that developed over time — repetitive-motion shoulder or wrist injuries, hearing loss, exposure-related conditions.
A CA-2 needs a factual statement connecting the condition to specific work exposures or duties, plus medical evidence of causal relationship. This is where most federal claims are won or lost.
Form CA-16
Authorization for Examination and/or Treatment
When: Issued by the agency for a traumatic injury, usually within the first days.
A CA-16 authorizes initial examination and treatment and generally guarantees payment for that care for a limited period. Bring it to your first visit if your agency has issued one — but do not delay care waiting for it.
Form CA-17
Duty Status Report
When: At the first visit and at follow-ups while you are on restrictions.
Side A describes your regular job demands; side B is the physician's statement of what you can and cannot do. A vague CA-17 is the most common reason an agency cannot place someone on limited duty.
Form CA-20
Attending Physician's Report
When: With the initial claim and when OWCP asks for updated medical evidence.
This is the treating physician's narrative: diagnosis, findings, whether the condition is causally related to the accepted work factors, treatment plan and work capacity.
Form CA-7
Claim for Compensation
When: When you are claiming wage loss, leave buy-back, or a schedule award.
Wage-loss claims need medical evidence supporting the disability period. Schedule award claims need a permanent impairment rating done to the applicable AMA Guides edition.
Forms should always be obtained from the Department of Labor directly so you are using the current version. We do not host copies.
Timeline
Day 0 — report the injury
Tell your supervisor and file the CA-1 or CA-2. Reporting late is the single most common reason a valid claim gets challenged.
Day 0–3 — get evaluated
Under FECA you choose your own treating physician. Get examined while the findings are fresh; the first record establishes mechanism and diagnosis.
First 2 weeks — build the medical evidence
Your physician submits the narrative report and duty status. Continuation of pay may apply for traumatic injuries; occupational disease claims move to compensation claims instead.
Weeks 2–12 — treatment and authorizations
Imaging, therapy and specialist referrals may require OWCP authorization. Restrictions get updated as function changes.
At maximum medical improvement
If permanent impairment remains, an impairment rating supports a schedule award claim on Form CA-7. If you are able to return to full duty, the release is documented and the file closes.
Medical evidence
Avoidable mistakes
Questions
Ready to be seen?
As a federal employee, you pick your treating physician. Our Kansas City and St. Louis clinics document federal claims to OWCP standards from the first visit.