A bipartisan bill newly introduced in Congress aims to “modernize” the federal workers compensation system by allowing physician assistants and nurse practitioners to diagnose, certify and oversee treatment for federal employees injured on the job.
The proposal, titled the Improving Access to Workers’ Compensation for Injured Federal Workers Act and introduced Tuesday on the Senate floor, would amend the Federal Employees’ Compensation Act, which currently permits only physicians to perform those functions in work-related injury cases.
S.B. 3296 was immediately referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. A similar proposal — H.R. 3170 — was introduced in the House of Representatives in June but has yet to gain traction.
Under existing law, federal employees may choose physician assistants and nurse practitioners as their primary care providers through the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program. But when an on-the-job injury occurs, FECA restricts key responsibilities — such as certifying the injury, determining disability and supervising treatment — to physicians alone.
Supporters of the Senate bill issued statements this week saying that creates unnecessary delays, especially in rural areas or regions with provider shortages, where access to physicians may require significant travel or lengthy wait times.
Proponents said the legislation would authorize state-licensed physician assistants and nurse practitioners to perform the same workers compensation functions they already carry out for millions of non-federal patients, provided those services fall within their state-regulated scope of practice.
Professional medical associations representing NPs and PAs have endorsed the bill, arguing that expanding authority to these practitioners will reduce bottlenecks in care, speed recovery and improve outcomes for federal employees.
This article was first published in Business Insurance
