Bill Overview
Title: Improving Access to Workers’ Compensation for Injured Federal Workers Act
Description: of 2022 This bill expands the role of nurse practitioners and physician assistants in providing services to injured federal workers under the federal workers' compensation program. Specifically, under the program, nurse practitioners and physician assistants acting within the scope of their practice may (1) prescribe or recommend treatment for injured federal workers; (2) certify the nature of an injury and probable extent of disability; (3) provide prescribed treatment for injured federal workers; and (4) participate, with a physician designated by the Department of Labor, in a mandatory workers' compensation examination of an injured worker. In general, only physicians may fulfill these roles under current law.
Sponsors: Rep. Courtney, Joe [D-CT-2]
Target Audience
Population: Injured federal workers
Estimated Size: 2100000
- The bill aims to enhance the role of nurse practitioners and physician assistants in treating federal workers under the workers' compensation program.
- There are over 2 million federal employees in the United States as of 2023, all of whom are covered under the federal workers' compensation program.
- The bill will directly impact federal workers who get injured and require compensation and medical treatment.
- The healthcare professionals affected include nurse practitioners and physician assistants who will now have expanded roles in this context.
- By improving the access and service delivery in workers' compensation, the bill could indirectly influence the general wellbeing and job performance of all federal workers.
Reasoning
- The policy explicitly targets injured federal workers by expanding healthcare access through nurse practitioners and physician assistants, increasing the capacity and speed of treatment and certification, potentially leading to quicker recovery and improved wellbeing.
- Given the number of federal employees (approximately 2.1 million), the policy may directly impact a significant segment of this population who experiences workplace injuries annually.
- Expanding the roles for nurse practitioners and physician assistants may also lead to increased job satisfaction and growth opportunities for these professionals.
- Considering the budget caps, the initial years may focus on infrastructure development, training, and adjusting the healthcare workflows with thousands of potential users, before seeing full scale effects on wellbeing.
- Even federal workers not directly injured may experience indirect benefits in terms of organizational efficiency, reduced absenteeism, and general morale boosts.
Simulated Interviews
Federal mail carrier (Washington, D.C.)
Age: 45 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 10/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I think having more healthcare providers available can only be a good thing. My wait times might drop, which would really help.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 5 |
Nurse Practitioner (Seattle, WA)
Age: 30 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 20.0 years
Commonness: 5/20
Statement of Opinion:
- This policy acknowledges our capabilities and gives us the chance to make a larger impact in patient care.
- I see this as a positive step towards more comprehensive healthcare solutions.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 9 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 9 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 9 | 7 |
Engineer at NASA (Houston, TX)
Age: 42 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 8
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 15/20
Statement of Opinion:
- While it won't affect me directly, knowing that colleagues can receive timely care improves workplace vibe.
- It's reassuring to know the system will work better if I do get injured.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 8 |
Federal Investigator (Atlanta, GA)
Age: 35 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 8.0 years
Commonness: 12/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Previously, the medical side of workers' comp was frustrating. This policy seems like it might help.
- I'm hopeful about quicker treatment transitions.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 5 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 4 |
HR Specialist in a federal agency (Chicago, IL)
Age: 39 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 10/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Streamlining roles and reducing the physician workload could accelerate claim resolutions.
- It's a sensible update that balances administrative duties.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 6 |
Physician Assistant (Denver, CO)
Age: 50 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 20.0 years
Commonness: 5/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Being more recognized in our roles is going to improve outcomes for patients.
- This will serve as a model for more inclusive practice laws.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 9 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 9 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 9 | 7 |
Administrative Assistant at a federal office (Arlington, VA)
Age: 28 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 14/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Faster processing times due to expanded roles should cut down on our workload significantly.
- I think it's a pragmatic way to improve the process.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 5 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 6 | 5 |
Veteran Affairs Rep (Philadelphia, PA)
Age: 47 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 15.0 years
Commonness: 8/20
Statement of Opinion:
- If nurse practitioners can alleviate some of these delays, it's a big win.
- I've seen first-hand how these gaps have hurt recovery.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 5 |
Junior Analyst (Boston, MA)
Age: 33 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 3.0 years
Commonness: 18/20
Statement of Opinion:
- It's hard for me to see immediate effects, but I approve greater healthcare access generally.
- Policies like this set important precedents for other sectors too.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 7 |
Retired federal worker (San Diego, CA)
Age: 60 | Gender: other
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 0.0 years
Commonness: 20/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I wish this was in effect during my years working, but it's good for future workers.
- Having more treatment options sounds promising.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 6 | 6 |
Cost Estimates
Year 1: $20000000 (Low: $15000000, High: $25000000)
Year 2: $20500000 (Low: $15500000, High: $25500000)
Year 3: $21012500 (Low: $16025000, High: $26050000)
Year 5: $22254812 (Low: $17032812, High: $27476812)
Year 10: $24596784 (Low: $18346784, High: $30836784)
Year 100: $-1 (Low: $-1, High: $-1)
Key Considerations
- Expansion of nurse practitioner and physician assistant roles may lead to varied implementation effectiveness across different regions and agencies.
- The federal workers' compensation program budgetary constraints and existing cost structures will influence the overall fiscal impact.