E&W Blog

The Office of Workers’ Compensation Programs (OWCP) was created to support certain workers who experience an injury on the job or develop an occupational disability or disease. OWCP administers the Federal Employees’ Compensation Act (FECA) and the Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program Act as part of its duties to ensure workers receive wage replacement benefits, medical care, and other assistance. 

Today, the Subcommittee on Workforce Protections held a hearing to discuss the need for reforms that strengthen oversight, improve data sharing to prevent fraud, and ensure benefits are delivered efficiently and responsibly—so support is there for workers who truly need it while protecting taxpayer dollars. 


Subcommittee Chairman Ryan Mackenzie (R-PA) kicked off the hearing by summarizing the topic at hand. “These programs play a critical role in supporting injured employees…Today’s hearing gives us the opportunity to build on what we’ve learned and seek out commonsense improvements to these programs that help injured workers access high quality care and return to their careers,” he said.

Witnesses spotlighted how states have been leading the way in improving workers’ compensation programs. 


“As recently as 2008, Ohio [workers’ compensation] had the third-highest premiums in the nation. Today, we are the envy of other states, as our premiums are at their lowest level in over 65 years and rank among the five lowest states for premium rates in the country,” said Ms. Stephanie McCloud, Administrator and CEO at the Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation.


Mr. Robert Johnson, President of Sedgwick Government Solutions, explained to Rep. Glenn Grothman (R-WI) how artificial intelligence (AI) is helping improve and oversee care. “In our view, the use of AI…has been very powerful in the claims management arena…[but] there should always be a human on both ends of the transaction…We think that that oversight and constant monitoring...is of the utmost importance,” Mr. Johnson said. 


Rep. Rick Allen (R-GA) highlighted how his bill H.R. 4122, Health Care for Energy Workers Act, would expand access to qualified providers, reduce delays in care, and lower costs. “[This legislation] will reduce delays by improving…access to the care providers…Getting care by a nurse practitioner or a physician’s assistant in your local community will be faster…We can [also] reduce costs by preventing patients from having to go to the hospital,” Mr. Patrick Howe, Executive Vice President at Nuclear Care Partners, said.


Rep. Lucy McBath (D-GA), who also co-sponsored the legislation, agreed with these sentiments. “This bill gives patients the ability to work with providers that they have already built a relationship with and who are already in their communities. [It also] gives back patients their time—time not…spent driving for hours at a time in a car [or]…worrying about when they’ll be able to find an appointment with their next available physicians’ visit. [This gives them] more time to heal in the comfort of their own home and more time with their families and community,” she concluded.

Bottom line: Injured workers deserve programs that work for them, and taxpayers deserve accountability. The Committee is working on reforms to weed out bad actors and make it easier for patients to get the care they need.