2005 FECA Bulletins which have previously been issued by the DFEC but have since expired or been superseded by another Bulletin, Circular or inclusion in the FECA Procedure Manual.
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Bulletin |
Subject |
|---|---|
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Medical Exams/IME: Security of Case Records During the Referral Process |
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BPS - Central Bill Processing System - Interim Responses to Requests for Medical Authorization |
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Fiscal - Change of Lockbox Depository Effective December 15, 2004 |
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Compensation Pay: Compensation Rate Changes Effective January 2005 |
Attention: This bulletin has been superseded and is inactive.
FECA BULLETIN NO. 05-01
Issue Date: December 3, 2004
Expiration Date: December 3, 2005
Subject: Medical Exams/IME: Security of Case Records During the Referral Process
Background: The OWCP policy of sending the original case record to the office of the medical specialist performing an impartial medical examination (IME) to resolve a conflict has occasionally resulted in the loss of the claimant's case record. In situations where the case record is fully imaged, the district office merely prints a copy of the case from OASIS. Currently, however, many of the cases requiring an impartial medical examination are in hybrid form, i.e., partially paper and partially imaged. In these cases, the original part of the case record, which is the paper portion, continues to present the problem of possible loss during the transport to and from the physician's office. In light of the foregoing, OWCP has determined that continuing to send the original paper portion of the case record out of the district office represents an unacceptable risk to the security of case records for which the Office is the legal custodian.
References: FECA Procedure Manual Chapter 3-0500.5 and Chapter 2-0810.13.
Purpose: To implement new procedures with respect to the imaging and printing case records prior to referral of the case for an impartial medical examination (IME).
Applicability: Claims Examiners, Senior Claims Examiners, All Claims Supervisors, Medical Schedulers, District Medical Directors, Technical Assistants, System Managers, Staff Nurses, and Vocational Rehabilitation Specialists
Action:
1. Effective immediately the Office will no longer send the original of the paper portion of a hybrid case out of the office for an impartial medical evaluation.
2. The district office can choose to either scan the paper portion of the case into OASIS locally or to provide the impartial medical examiner with a photocopy. The original paper portion of the case file is the official record. Therefore, the original documents must be retained by the district office and handled in accordance with current record retention regulations.
3. If the paper portion of the case is scanned into OASIS locally, the original paper documents should be imaged with a received-date equivalent to the date that the district office "went live" on OASIS. Document indexing of this portion of the imaged record will not be required.
3. Once the hybrid cases are fully imaged, the district offices will send only printed copies of imaged cases for the purpose of review by an IME, or future uses.
The above described procedures will be effective upon the release of this bulletin. Please ensure that proper notification/training is provided to district office personnel that are affected.
Disposition: Retain until incorporated into the FECA Procedure Manual.
JAMES L. DEMARCE
Acting Director for
Federal Employees' Compensation
Distribution: List No. 1, Folioviews Groups A and D (Claims Examiners, All Supervisors, District Medical Advisors, Technical Assistants, Rehabilitation Specialists, and Staff Nurses)
Back to Top of FECA Bulletin No. 05-01
Attention: This bulletin has been superseded and is inactive.
FECA BULLETIN NO. 05-02
Issue Date: February 1, 2005
Expiration Date: February 1, 2006
Subject: BPS - Central Bill Processing System - Interim Responses to Requests for Medical Authorization
Background: Currently, medical providers requesting prior authorization for medical services do not receive a response from ACS or the responsible claims examiner (RCE) when additional development must be undertaken. The current process leaves the requesting medical provider without any information concerning the status of the authorization request. In addition, ACS is unable to provide any information concerning the authorization request to callers.
In order to facilitate communication on these issues, OWCP will advise ACS that further medical development is being undertaken. Effective February 7, 2005, ACS will begin to enter a code into the authorization system which will denote that further medical development is in process. Also, an interim response will be given to the provider who has requested authorization for medical procedures.
Reference: "How to Resolve Threads" (see OWCP Central Bill Intranet Site), PM 2-0810, PM 3-0500, PM 2-600-3.
Purpose: To provide procedures for issuing interim response letters to providers requesting authorization for medical procedures.
Applicability: Claims Examiners, Senior Claims Examiners, All Claims Supervisors, Medical Schedulers, District Medical Advisors, Technical Assistants, System Managers, Staff Nurses, Vocational Rehabilitation Specialists, Communications Specialists, Fiscal Operations Specialists, Medical Coding Specialists, and Customer Service Representatives.
Action:
1. Interim responses will be issued to medical providers by ACS when the RCE is not able to approve a requested procedure. The thread will be returned to ACS by the RCE within three workdays of receipt. ACS will update the thread status to reflect "further development" (F). ACS will also update its authorization request files with this information.
2. ACS will generate a letter to the provider stating that the requested medical service cannot be approved at this time and that additional medical development is being undertaken by OWCP. The RCE will have 7 days from the day the thread is sent back to ACS to initiate the development.
3. Each additional step in the development process should be initiated within 14 calendar days of completion of the previous step. For example, if the DMA returns his/her opinion and it is determined that a SECOP is needed, the RCE should initiate the SECOP process within 14 calendar days of the DMA's opinion. Regular SECOP and IME procedures for notifying the claimant remain in effect and are not changed with this Bulletin.
4. If the RCE determines that a formal decision denying the authorization request is appropriate, he or she will issue the decision to the injured worker. The RCE will send a thread to ACS advising that the authorization has been denied. A copy of the formal decision will not be sent to the provider.
5. All threads can be viewed in Omni-Track by office, unit, or CE based on user level. The instructions for locating threads can be found on the help site under the category "Threads," followed by the sub-category "How to Find Threads."
Disposition: Retain until incorporated into the FECA Procedure Manual.
JAMES L. DEMARCE
Acting Director for
Federal Employees' Compensation
Distribution: List No. 3 Folioviews Groups A, B, C, and D (All FECA Employees)
Back to Top of FECA Bulletin No. 05-02
Attention: This bulletin has been superseded and is inactive.
FECA BULLETIN NO. 05-03
Issue Date: February 14, 2005
Expiration Date: February 14, 2006
Subject: Fiscal - Change of Lockbox Depository Effective December 15, 2004.
Background: In March 2003, the U.S. Treasury/Financial Management Service (FMS) received bids from various financial institutions on the contract to provide lockbox services to all federal agencies. These initial bids were limited to Regions 4 and 5, and were finalized in October 2004, when the contract for services was awarded to Citibank. As a result, certain DFEC lockbox accounts will no longer reside with Bank of America and instead will be serviced by Citibank.
Purpose: To inform the appropriate personnel of the change in lockbox depository addresses, ensuring the proper processing of all incoming cash receipts.
Applicability: Appropriate National and District Office personnel. This includes each district office that previously had a lockbox account with Bank of America of San Francisco, California (Denver - D.O. 12; San Francisco - D.O. 13; and Seattle - D.O. 14) or Bank of America of Dallas, Texas (Kansas City - D.O. 11 and Dallas - D.O. 16). All DFEC lockboxes with an account through Bank of America of Atlanta, Georgia are not affected and their depository accounts will remain the same. Contracts for the remaining regions will be bid upon in 2005. The current list of all DFEC lockboxes is attached to this publication.
Action:
1. All letters requesting that payment be mailed directly to the lockbox depository should be changed immediately. All letters pertaining to overpayment decisions (CA-2223, CA-2225, and the CA-9000 series) should be changed at each district office to reflect the new lockbox address as detailed in the attached listing.
2. The DFEC System Managers have already been notified f the needed address change via e-mail, and should have modified the district office's "v44_lb_addr table". This update will also automatically update the Letter Generator System (LGS), since the LGS retrieves the lockbox addresses from this part of the v44 table through "letters.cgi" when the "Generate Letter" button is clicked.
3. All other appropriate district office personnel, including designated third party examiners, must be made aware of the local lockbox address change.
4. Deposits sent to old lockbox addresses will only be forwarded to Citibank for approximately six months. The affected district offices must therefore make every effort to notify and update any individuals or organizations that are currently sending cash deposits to their lockboxes.
5. All deposits mailed from the district office to the lockbox after December 15, 2004, should be mailed to the new lockbox address.
6. It will also be necessary for each district office to identify all Office of Personnel Management (OPM) and salary off-sets that are currently being mailed directly to their lockbox. The Cash Receipts Register will serve as a source for quick identification of such deposits. Notices must be sent to OPM and/or the employing agency immediately.
7. Deposit transactions will be made in the same manner as those with Bank of America. Transaction data will be sent from Citibank to the district offices via FedEx. "Zero Activity" reports from Citibank will not be forwarded, only daily reporting with actual deposit activity. In addition, daily "zero activity" notices will be sent via first-class mail, rather than FedEx. The date of deposit will continue to be the Treasury confirmation date.
The DFEC contact person at Citibank for all questions or concerns is Bonnie Coffield. Ms. Coffield can be reached by telephone at (302) 324-6484, and by e-mail at bonnie.l.coffield@citigroup.com.
The Treasury/FMS contact for the lockboxes is John Schmid, who may be reached at (202) 874-7026, and by e-mail at John.Schmid@fms.treas.gov.
Disposition: This bulletin is to be retained in Part 5, Benefit Payments, Federal (FECA) Procedure Manual, until the indicated expiration date.
JAMES L. DEMARCE
Acting Director for
Federal Employees' Compensation
Distribution: List No. 2--Folioviews Groups A and D (Claims Examiners, All Supervisors, Systems Managers, District Medical Advisors, Technical Assistants, Rehabilitation Specialists, and Fiscal and Bill Pay Personnel)
Attachment to FB 05-03
LOCKBOX DEPOSITY ADDRESSES – DECEMBER 2004
The following is a listing of the current mailing address for all DFEC lockboxes. This listing has been revised to include the new addresses for all lockboxes that have been switched from Bank of America to Citibank. All other district office lockbox addresses remain changed.
Boston District Office:
U.S. Dept. of Labor – DFEC Boston
P.O. Box 403498
Atlanta, GA 30384-3498
New York District Office:
U.S. Dept. of Labor – DFEC New York
P.O. Box 403484
Atlanta, GA 30384-3484
Philadelphia District Office:
U.S. Dept. of Labor – DFEC Philadelphia
P.O. Box 403471
Atlanta, GA 30384-3471
Jacksonville District Office:
U.S. Dept. of Labor – DFEC Jacksonville
P.O. Box 403376
Atlanta, GA 30384-3376
Cleveland District Office:
U.S. Dept. of Labor – DFEC Cleveland
P.O. Box 403459
Atlanta, GA 30384-3459
Chicago District Office:
U.S. Dept. of Labor – DFEC Chicago
P.O. Box 403449
Atlanta, GA 30384-3449
Kansas City District Office:
U.S. Dept. of Labor
Kansas City FECA Office
P.O. Box 894227
Los Angeles, CA 90189-4227
Denver District Office:
U.S. Dept. of Labor
Denver FECA Office
P.O. Box 894204
Los Angeles, CA 90189-4204
San Francisco District Office:
U.S. Dept. of Labor
San Francisco FECA Office
P.O. Box 894221
Los Angeles, CA 90189-4221
Seattle District Office:
U.S. Dept. of Labor
Seattle FECA Office
P.O. Box 894212
Los Angeles, CA 90189-4212
Dallas District Office:
U.S. Dept. of Labor
Dallas FECA Office
P.O. Box 894225
Los Angeles, CA 90189-4225
Washington D.C. District Office:
U.S. Dept. of Labor – DFEC Washington D.C.
P.O. Box 403431
Atlanta, GA 30384-3431
National Office:
U.S. Dept. of Labor – DFEC National Office
P.O. Box 403356
Atlanta, GA 30384-3356
Back to Top of FECA Bulletin No. 05-03
Attention: This bulletin has been superseded and is inactive.
FECA BULLETIN NO. 05-04
Issue Date: April 10, 2005
Expiration Date: April 10, 2006
Subject: Compensation Pay: Compensation Rate Changes Effective January 2005.
Background: On December 30, 2004, the President signed an Executive Order implementing a salary increase of 2.50 percent in the basic pay for the General Schedule. The applicability under 5 U.S.C. 8112 only includes the 2.50 percent increase in the basic General Schedule. Any percent increase for locality-based pay is excluded.
Purpose: To inform the appropriate personnel of the increased minimum/maximum compensation rates and the adjustment procedures for affected cases on the periodic disability and death payrolls.
The new rates were effective with the first compensation payroll period beginning on or after January 1, 2005, making January 9, 2005 the effective date of the increase. The new maximum compensation rate payable is based on the scheduled salary of a GS-15, Step 10, which is now $116,517 per annum. The basis for the minimum compensation rate is the salary of $18,007 per annum (GS-2, Step 1). The minimum increase specified in this Bulletin is applicable to Postal employees.
The effect on 5 U.S.C. 8112 is to increase the payment of compensation for disability claims to:
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Effective January 9, 2005 |
Minimum |
Maximum |
|---|---|---|
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28-Day Cycle |
$1,038.88 |
$6,722.12 |
The effect on 5 U.S.C. 8133(e) is to increase the monthly pay on which compensation for death is computed to:
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Effective January 12, 2004 |
Minimum |
Maximum |
|---|---|---|
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Monthly |
$1,501.00 |
$7,282.00 |
Applicability: Appropriate National and District Office personnel
Reference: Memorandum for Executive Heads of Departments and Agencies dated December 30, 2004, and the attachment for the 2005 General Schedule
Action: ACPS will update the periodic disability and death payrolls. Any cases with gross overrides will not have a supplemental record created. Thus, the cases with gross overrides must be reviewed to determine if adjustments are necessary. If adjustment is necessary, a manual calculation will be required.
1. Adjustments Dates.
a. As the effective date of the adjustment was January 9, 2005, there was no supplemental payroll needed for the periodic disability and death rolls.
b. The new minimum/maximum compensation rates were available in ACPS on January 20, 2005.
2. Adjustment of Daily Roll Payments. The salary adjustments are not retroactive, so it is assumed that all Federal agencies have ample time to receive and report the new pay rates on claims for compensation filed on or after January 1, 2005. Therefore, it is not necessary to review any of these payments. However, if an inquiry is received, verification of the pay rate must be secured from the employing establishment and the necessary adjustment applied.
3. Minimum and Maximum Adjustment Listings. Form CA-842, Minimum Compensation Pay Rates, and Form CA-843, Maximum Compensation Rates, should be annotated with the new rate information as follows:
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CA-842 – 01/03/05 |
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51.94-77.91 |
259.72-389.55 |
51.94 |
259.72(1,038.88) |
1,501.00 |
51.94-69.28 |
259.72-346.38 |
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CA-843 – 01/03/05 |
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336.11 |
1,680.53(6,722.12) |
7,282.00 |
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4. Forms. CP-150, Minimum/Maximum Compensation, was generated for each case adjusted. It should be noted that this adjustment process re-calculates EVERY ACPS record from very beginning to current date, thus, it may be that minor changes in the gross compensation are noted; this is not necessarily incorrect. Notices to all payees receiving periodic compensation payments were generated, informing them of potential changes to their compensation benefits.
The notices were sent as an attachment to the Benefit Statement generated after each periodic cycle. Manual adjustments necessary because of gross overrides should be made on Forms CA-24 or CA-25 with a notice sent to the payee by the District Office.
Disposition: This bulletin is to be retained in Part 5, Benefit Payments, Federal (FECA) Procedure Manual, until the indicated expiration date.
DOUGLAS FITZGERALD
Director for
Federal Employees' Compensation
Distribution: List No 2:- -Folioviews Groups A and D (Claims Examiners, All Supervisors, Systems Managers, District Medical Advisors, Technical Assistants, Rehabilitation Specialists, and Fiscal and Bill Pay Personnel)
Back to Top of FECA Bulletin No. 05-04