Analysis of new workers' compensation claims in the Department of Defense civilian workforce, 2000-2012.

OBJECTIVE: This study of Department of Defense (DoD) civilian employees Workers' Compensation (WC) claims for chargeback year 2000 through 2012 aimed to analyze the frequency, rates, and costs of WC claims representing 5% of the DoD annual personnel budget. METHODS: A multiyear cross-sectional study of WC claims data identified the top five most frequent causes, natures, and anatomical sites; changes in frequency, worker age, costs, and time were evaluated for trends. RESULTS: The annual frequency and rate of new DoD WC claims decreased over time, whereas costs per new claim have increased. New claim frequencies, rates, and costs aggregated in older age groups. CONCLUSIONS: The increasing trend in costs of each claim and the overall program costs presents a need for case management. Analysis of WC claims data is necessary to help target injury prevention efforts and reduce program costs.

Federal workers' compensation program basics.

OBJECTIVE: Primary health care providers may not be familiar with the Federal Employees' Compensation Act (FECA) and Department of Defense regulations that govern injured workers' rights, benefits, and procedures to follow when an injured employee is seen in the military medical treatment facility. METHODS: The FECA program was examined and each section reviewed to facilitate provider involvement from time of injury to final disposition of a claim and employee return to work. The best practices in case management are highlighted as well. RESULTS: Several areas of the FECA program require coordination between members of the installation Federal Worker's Compensation team. Areas requiring extensive communication by all team members were emphasized. CONCLUSIONS: Successful installation FECA programs engage all members of the FECA team in a collaborative fashion to share information, prevent injuries, and keep costs low.