H.R. 3170: Improving Access to Workers’ Compensation for Injured Federal Workers Act

This bill, titled the "Improving Access to Workers’ Compensation for Injured Federal Workers Act," aims to amend existing legislation to enhance the availability of workers' compensation services for federal employees who are injured on the job. Here is a summary of the key provisions in the bill:

Inclusion of Additional Health Care Providers

The bill proposes to allow physician assistants and nurse practitioners to be recognized as eligible providers for workers' compensation services under the Federal Employees’ Compensation Act (FECA). Currently, only physicians are explicitly included. The changes would include:

• Adding a definition for "other eligible provider" to encompass nurse practitioners and physician assistants operating within their state-defined scopes of practice.
• Ensuring that any references to "physician" within the relevant provisions of the law also include these additional providers, thus broadening the options available for federal workers seeking medical care for job-related injuries.

Conforming Amendments

To support this inclusion, the bill makes several technical adjustments in various sections of Title 5, United States Code. This includes:

• Updating specific language in the law to explicitly mention "other eligible providers" wherever "physicians" are referenced.
• Amending provisions regarding the types of services covered for injured workers to reflect the inclusion of nurse practitioners and physician assistants.

Implementation Timeline

The bill mandates that the Secretary of Labor must establish rules and regulations to implement these changes no later than six months after the bill is enacted. This aims to ensure a timely integration of the expanded provider list into the workers' compensation system.

Benefits of the Bill

By expanding the list of eligible providers, the legislation aims to:

• Improve access to medical services for federal employees who experience workplace injuries.
• Reduce potential delays that injured workers may face in obtaining care, as nurse practitioners and physician assistants can often provide timely services.
• Align federal workers’ compensation practices with broader trends in healthcare, where non-physician providers play a significant role in clinical practice.

Relevant Companies

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