Federal employees who are injured on the job and seeking medical treatment stand to benefit from recently introduced legislation.
The Improving Access to Workers’ Compensation for Injured Federal Workers Act (S. 3296) is designed to make it easier for federal employees to receive timely medical treatment for job-related injuries. The bill has one cosponsor as of the time of this writing, Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT).
The legislation was introduced by Senator Susan Collins (R-ME) and would allow Physician Assistants (PAs) and Nurse Practitioners (NPs) to certify injuries and oversee treatment for federal workers with injuries or illnesses that occurred on the job.
It would update the Federal Employees’ Compensation Act (FECA) to allow PAs and NPs to diagnose injuries, certify the extent of disability, and oversee treatment for federal workers hurt on the job—when these responsibilities fall within their state-defined scope of practice. Currently, only licensed physicians can perform these functions under FECA, even though federal employees can already choose PAs and NPs as primary care providers through the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program.
According to Collins, federal employees in rural areas stand to benefit the most. She highlighted the bill’s importance for employees in areas with limited access to physicians.
“In a large, rural state like Maine, finding access to health care close to home can be a challenge,” she said. “By allowing injured federal workers to be treated by nurse practitioners and physician assistants, our bipartisan bill would help prevent the need for long and difficult travel, reduce wait times for care, and improve employees’ overall health and wellbeing.”
If passed, the bill would have a significant impact on federal employees, particularly those in rural or underserved communities, by increasing the number of qualified professionals able to provide work-related medical care. The measure aims to shorten delays in treatment, reduce administrative barriers, and improve recovery outcomes for injured employees.
The proposal has earned support from the American Association of Nurse Practitioners, the American Academy of Physician Associates (AAPA), and the National Association of Letter Carriers, reflecting broad backing from both medical professionals and federal worker organizations.
“Too many federal workers still face outdated barriers that delay or deny the care they need when they get injured on the job,” said AAPA President Todd Pickard, DMSc, PA-C, DFAAPA, FASCO. “With more than 190,000 PAs practicing nationwide and delivering high-quality care across every specialty, the reintroduction of this bill is an important step toward modernizing our system and ensuring federal employees can get timely, expert care without unnecessary roadblocks.”
