Federal workers' compensation programs: Department of Defense and Veterans Health Administration experiences.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this article is to introduce the reader to this special supplement to the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine regarding Federal Workers' Compensation Programs. METHODS: The short history of both the VHA and DoD Federal Workers' Compensation Programs are provided and a short synopsis of each author's article is provided. RESULTS: The lessons learned from the articles in the supplement are summarized in this article and 6 key findings are highlighted. CONCLUSIONS: Cooperation between human resources workers' compensation personnel, safety and occupational health personnel is a must for successful management of the WC program. Information and data sharing are critical for root cause and injury prevention, case management, and cost containment efforts. Enhancing efforts in these areas will save an estimated $100 million through cost avoidance efforts.

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.