OWCP policy updates 2025 Podcast Episode #60

Federal Workers Compensation Coffee Break Podcast is about all things related to Federal Workers Compensation, FECA, OWCP, DOL & Longshore claim filing as an injured federal worker.  The podcast is an educational and informative training on how to navigate the DOL -OWCP claims filing process for all types of injured US government and federal workers. The podcaster has 30 years in assisting with federal workers compensation as a consultant and trainer. The podcast is free and is educational. If you need help with anything related to a federal workers compensation claim...help is just a cup of coffee away.

Current rundown of the latest OWCP policy updates as of March 16, 2025. These updates are drawn from what’s been publicly shared by the U.S. Department of Labor and other reliable channels—perfect fodder for your next episode!

See transcript for more information on the policy updates of 2025.

The podcast Dr. Taylor’s contact email is: fedcompconsultants@protonmail.com

If you need a medical provider or assistance with an OWCP /  DOL claim in Tampa, Pensacola Florida or Mobile Alabama    you can make an appointment to see Dr. Taylor, or Dr. Sullivan   at the clinic at  FWC Medical Centers. To make a consultation with Dr. Taylor  call the clinic at 813-215-4356 or go  to our website at https://mrtherapycenter.com/or https://fedcompconsultants.com/

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Transcript

 HI I’m Dr. Stephen Taylor a federal Workers Compensation Consultant and a medical provider in Tampa  Florida who has been helping government employees with work-related injuries, disability, FERS Disability, VA disability and other types of Federal program filings for 30 years. I have helped 1000s of people all over the country with properly filing their Federal Workers Compensation Claims and/or disability claims for about three decades. After all these years I have decided  to create a tutorial podcast to assist with all kinds of topics related to injured federal workers and/or contractors. The name of this tutorial podcast is  Federal Workers Compensation Coffee break Podcast. It is based on the lunch and learn short learning format.  Here at this podcast we discuss all sorts of topics related to federal workers compensation, Department of Labor, OWCP, FECA ACT, FERS, longshore-maritime, DOD contractors, VA benefits over a cup of coffee. I cover these relevant topics in a short coffee break style format because in order to discuss topics that  government employees always ask for assistance on for all of these years.  I do this to assist you the government employee, you and your doctor or your coworkers with claim filing denials or with appropriate filing of benefit claims, disability or injured worker claims. The best part about this podcast and all of it’s tutorials for successfully navigating DOL, FERS & OWCP benefits… is that I do it all for free. All you need is a cup of coffee and a notebook. 

Today we are going to go over the 2025 OWCP policy updates in a short podcast to cover these updates. So let’s get our coffee going and dive into the 2025 OWCP policy updates.

Current rundown of the latest OWCP policy updates as of March 16, 2025. These updates are drawn from what’s been publicly shared by the U.S. Department of Labor and other reliable channels—perfect fodder for your next episode!

Utilization Review Edits for Same-Day Services (Effective January 11, 2025)

Starting earlier this year, OWCP rolled out new utilization review edits to clamp down on billing for multiple services on the same date. This applies to three programs: Division of Coal Mine Workers’ Compensation (DCMWC), Division of Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation (DEEOIC), and Division of Federal Employees’ Compensation (DFEC). The goal? To prevent overbilling. Providers will see denials flagged on remittance vouchers with the note: “Coverage/program guidelines were exceeded: Exceeds number/frequency approved/allowed within the time period.” If your claimants or their providers hit snags, they can call the program-specific helplines—like 1-800-638-7072 for DCMWC. Remember if a bill is denied for some reason the doctor can not pass this bill off to you. The medical necessity of the payment denial will need to be appealed by your doctor’s office. 

2025 FECA COLA Adjustment (Effective March 1, 2025)

The Federal Employees’ Compensation Act (FECA) cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) for 2025 is set at 2.8%, based on the December 2024 CPI-W increase from 300.728 to 309.067. This bump applies to compensation payments for federal workers with work-related injuries or illnesses, kicking in this month. It’s a different calculation from other federal retiree COLAs (like the 2.5% for CSRS), so it’s worth clarifying for your listeners to avoid confusion.

Advisory Board Meeting (February 5-6, 2025)

The Advisory Board on Toxic Substances and Worker Health met last month in Richland, Washington, near the Hanford Site. While not a direct policy change, it signals ongoing focus on refining OWCP processes, especially for the Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program Act (EEOICPA). They’re digging into claims adjudication and occupational health risks—expect some procedural tweaks to trickle out later this year based on their findings. I expect that the CA-2 occupational illness policy will be revised and updated with regards to exposure to toxic substances or toxic work environments in the near future.  

Rehabilitation Action Report (OWCP-44) Revision

OWCP’s been soliciting feedback on revising the OWCP-44 form, used to track vocational rehabilitation events. The OWCP-44 is used by contractors hired by OWCP to provide vocational rehabilitation services to injured workers. The form is submitted to OWCP to provide prompt notification of key events that may require OWCP action in the vocational rehabilitation or claims adjudication process. The update, still in progress as of early 2025, aims to streamline reporting and reduce paperwork burden. With 6,136 respondents annually and a quick 0.17-hour burden per form, it’s a small but practical tweak to watch—especially for claimants in Vocational rehab programs.

Mileage Rate for Travel Reimbursement

While not explicitly updated in OWCP bulletins for 2025 yet, the mileage rate typically aligns with federal standards and was last pegged around $0.67 per mile in recent years. Given the COLA increase and inflation trends, there’s chatter it might nudge up slightly—keep an ear out for an official announcement, as it directly impacts OWCP-957 filings. ECOMP is being pushed heavily for uploading  documents to active FECA cases. You can still upload letters, medical reports and other supporting documentation. BUT, you will need the official FECA Case Number and other identifying information to use this feature. Do not upload Medical or Travel reimbursement forms (OWCP-915, OWCP-957). Doing so will unnecessarily delay the processing of your reimbursement claim. Medical or Travel reimbursement forms must be mailed to OWCP-DFEC, P.O. Box 8300, London, KY 40742-8300. So, officially these forms along with their attachments must be mailed in and not uploaded into ECOMP. 

What’s Not Changing (Yet)

The 200-mile round-trip pre-approval rule and the 100-mile-per-line cap on the OWCP-957 remain firm, as we discussed earlier. No new guidance has loosened those reins, so your advice to split long trips across multiple lines still holds gold.

These updates reflect OWCP’s push for tighter fiscal oversight and better claimant support. Not anything big here to respond to but after the recent change from an improved standard for impairment rating back to the old system…I am not optimistic that we have any changes that are going to be vast improvements for the injured worker. We will see…

So,  I want to thank you for listening and want to remind you to share this podcast with other federal workers you think would benefit from this information. Also be kind enough to leave a review on the platform you found this podcast, like or subscribe to any of the major podcast platforms or our youtube channel so others will also find this information. Also if you need an approved  medical provider for your DOL -OWCP Or Longshore case in Florida you can still  find me in Tampa   and Pensacola. To make a consultation with me to discuss your case or if you know someone if Florida who is recently injured you can call the clinic at 813-215-4356 or 813-877-6900 or go  to our website at https://fedcompconsultants.com/   & https://mrtherapycenter.com/  Also if you are in  another state and you want me to assist you with claim questions or assistance for your  doctor you can email me at fedcompconsultants@protonmail.com 

Ok… I think that is enough for today…I need to warm up this coffee and get going. As usual I want to thank all of you who put on that uniform, that badge, deliver that mail, take care of our veterans and make this government run… a big thank you. I do this for free just for you…We could not do this  without all of the work all of you out there do…so this is my big  thank you. And remember if you  have an injured federal claim and you need assistance….I am  here to help!.

See you next time.

Off to get my coffee!