Federal Workers' Comp Care for Washington, DC Federal Employees
Injured federal and postal employees in Washington, DC can be seen by OWCP-enrolled DOL doctors at Federal Injury Centers. One appointment request reaches all 9 DMV clinics.
If you were hurt on the job at a federal agency in Washington, DC, your claim falls under the Federal Employees' Compensation Act (FECA), not DC's workers' comp system. You can choose your own treating doctor, as long as the doctor is enrolled with OWCP. Federal Injury Centers' OWCP-enrolled DOL doctors see DC federal employees at clinics just outside the District.
Why DC federal employees are a different kind of workers' comp case
More federal civilians work in the District than anywhere else: the Department of Labor itself (whose Office of Workers' Compensation Programs decides FECA claims), Postal Service headquarters at L'Enfant Plaza and the carriers and clerks of every DC post office, the Smithsonian, the Library of Congress, the Capitol Police, the National Park Service on the Mall, and the Department of Homeland Security on the St. Elizabeths campus. Every one of them is covered by FECA, whether the injury happened on a mail route in Petworth or at a desk on Constitution Avenue.
FECA is run by OWCP's Division of Federal Employees' Compensation. It has its own forms, its own medical-evidence rules and its own deadlines, and most DC doctors' offices don't deal with it. That's where claims stall: the injury is real, but the medical record doesn't say what OWCP needs to see.
Where to be seen
There is no Federal Injury Centers clinic inside the District. DC federal employees usually choose the clinic closest to home or work:
- Temple Hills (Marlow Heights), on Branch Avenue just over the line from Southeast DC: closest for Capitol Hill, Navy Yard, Anacostia and Congress Heights.
- Alexandria, on Eisenhower Avenue: closest for Southwest DC and anyone commuting through Virginia.
- Silver Spring, on Georgia Avenue: closest for Upper Northwest, Petworth, Columbia Heights and the U Street corridor.
One phone number and one appointment request reach all nine clinics, and the scheduling team books the closest one.
What to do after a federal workplace injury in DC
- Get urgent care first if you need it. Tell the provider the injury happened at work.
- Report it to your supervisor and file the right form in ECOMP (eccomp.dol.gov): a CA-1 for a traumatic injury (one incident or one shift), a CA-2 for an occupational disease (a condition caused over time), or a CA-2a if an accepted injury flares up again after you returned to work.
- File a CA-1 within 30 days to keep continuation of pay (up to 45 days of regular pay while you're off work). The general deadline for a FECA claim is three years.
- Ask your agency for a CA-16 if the injury was traumatic. It authorizes treatment while OWCP reviews the claim.
- Choose an OWCP-enrolled doctor. FECA lets you pick your initial treating physician; changing later needs OWCP's approval, so the first choice matters.
Workplace safety hazards can also be reported to OSHA, but that's separate from your compensation claim: OSHA doesn't pay medical bills or lost wages; OWCP does.
What our DOL doctors handle
Evaluation and treatment of back, neck, shoulder, knee and repetitive-strain injuries, physical therapy and chiropractic care, and the paperwork OWCP decides claims on: the CA-17 duty status report, CA-20 attending physician's report and narrative medical reports that connect the diagnosis to the work duties. The practice bills OWCP directly, so accepted claims don't cost you copays. See how federal workers' comp works and which OWCP forms you need.
Keep reading
Does DC's workers' compensation law cover federal employees?
No. Federal civilian employees in Washington, DC, including Postal Service employees, are covered by the Federal Employees' Compensation Act (FECA), administered by the U.S. Department of Labor's Office of Workers' Compensation Programs (OWCP). The District's own workers' compensation program covers private-sector and DC government workers.
Can I see a doctor outside DC for a federal workers' comp claim?
Yes. FECA lets you choose your treating physician, and the doctor doesn't have to be in the District. What matters is that the provider is enrolled with OWCP so OWCP can pay the bills. Many DC federal employees are seen at our Temple Hills, Alexandria or Silver Spring clinics.
How soon do I have to file?
File a CA-1 within 30 days of a traumatic injury to keep continuation of pay. The general time limit for a FECA claim is three years from the injury, or from when you realized a condition was work-related.
Do I pay anything for treatment?
Treatment for an accepted FECA claim is paid by OWCP. Federal Injury Centers bills OWCP directly, so there are no copays for accepted claims.
Request an Appointment With a DOL Doctor
One form reaches all 9 Federal Injury Centers locations. Our scheduling team will match you with the nearest clinic, confirm your OWCP paperwork and get you evaluated — usually within days.
Prefer to talk? Call (240) 863-2822
Helpful to have ready
- Your agency and job title (e.g., USPS letter carrier)
- Date and brief description of the injury
- Your CA-16 authorization, if your agency issued one
- OWCP claim number, if your claim is already filed
Don't have these yet? Submit the form anyway — we'll help you get the paperwork started.