NASA Procedural Requirements

NPR 1840.1 Effective Date: August 23, 2001 Expiration Date: December 31, 2009

Subject: Management of Workers' Compensation Injuries and Illnesses w/Change 1

Responsible Office: Office of the Chief Health & Medical Officer

CHAPTER 1. Responsibilities

1.1 Center Directors

Center Directors are responsible for ensuring the development, documentation, and implementation of policies, processes, and procedures under which employees perform their duties. They are also responsible for ensuring establishment of center-specific implementation guidelines for management of workers' compensation injuries and illnesses and the provision of OWCP data as required.

1.2 Agency Workers' Compensation Program Manager

The Agency Workers' Compensation Manager is responsible for assisting in the preparation, collection and submission of Workers' Compensation data to Agencywide NASA management, including submitting reports to the DOL and quarterly reports to NASA Headquarters' Office of the Chief Health and Medical Officer (OCHMO). The manager is also responsible for serving as a resource to Center Compensation Claims officers in controverted claims and assisting Centers in the reclama of questionable cases as requested. The Agency manager notifies OWCP of errors in charge back billing reported by Center claims officers or noted from the Agency's claims tracker database.

1.3 Occupational Health Clinic Personnel

Clinic personnel provide medical evaluations of employees for new light-duty and current positions. They also evaluate the private physician's medical diagnosis and, based on their evaluation of injured employees, recommend a course of action to NASA management concerning return to work. The clinics provide medical consultation and medical case management for the Workers' Compensation Officers (WCO). If findings suggest a non work-related causation, or a different diagnosis, they must coordinate with the treating physician, and inform WCO's who may need to refute or contest the cause and may require an additional specialty opinion.

1.4 Workers' Compensation Officers

WCO's maintain records of claims at their Centers. Records (i.e., CA-1, CA-2) are maintained and safeguarded as stated in OWCP guidelines and in NPR 1441.1, NASA Records Retention Schedules. They administer and monitor Workers' Compensation activities, assist in preparing claims, research standards for potential claims controversion, and provide quarterly claims reports to the Agency Workers' Compensation Program Manager.

1.5 Injured Employees

Employees are responsible for performing all of their duties in accordance with written policies, processes, and procedures. Employees injured while performing their official duties must provide information on injuries and illnesses to their supervisors and medical reports and CA-1 or CA-2 forms to WCO's for evaluation before applying for benefits.

1.6 Human Resources Officers

Human Resources Officers, working with clinic physicians, compensation claims officers, and supervisors, as needed, provide recommendations for current and future work activities of injured employees who are eligible to return to work on a modified duty status.

1.7 Employees' Supervisors

Supervisors are responsible for ensuring that employees perform their duties in accordance with all policies, processes, and procedures. Supervisors are responsible for taking appropriate action when employees fail to comply with these requirements.

1.8 Chief Financial Office and Payroll Officers

1.8.1 The Chief Financial Office reports costs of Workers' Compensation claims to Center management.

1.8.2 The Payroll Officer, in coordination with the Compensation Claims Officer at each NASA Center, is responsible for verifying that lost time Continuation of Pay (COP) does not exceed the limit and furnishing COP usage information for the Center's quarterly reports. They also provide and verify pay information as needed to the WCO's on injured employees for COP or other wage loss compensation paid by the OWCP.

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