The Federal Regulations administering the Federal Employees’ Compensation Act at §10.110 require a Federal employer to complete and transmit Forms CA-1 and CA-2 to OWCP within 10 working days after receipt of notice from the employee, if the injury or disease will likely result in:

  • a medical charge against OWCP;
  • disability for work beyond the day or shift of injury;
  • the need for more than two appointments for medical examination and/or treatment on separate days, leading to time loss from work;
  • future disability;
  • permanent impairment; or
  • the payment of continuation of pay.

OWCP uses the information provided in the Official Supervisors Report section of the completed form to determine timely submission of a claim. For a CA-1, OWCP will compare the date provided by the agency in Item 23 (date notice received) with the date that the form is received in the appropriate district office. For a CA-2, OWCP will compare the date provided in Item 26 (date employee first reported condition to supervisor) with the date that the form is received in the appropriate district office, or the date the claimant signed the form, whichever is later.

At the bottom of the Official Supervisor’s Report on Form CA-1, Item 39 provides filing instructions according to the extent of lost time and medical expense anticipated. The instructions indicate whether the claim must be forwarded to OWCP or held at the agency because none of the above criteria apply (“no lost time and no medical expense” or “first aid injury”). The appropriate box must be checked at the time the supervisor signs the form.

A claim that is initially kept in the employee’s medical folder and later incurs medical expenses or lost wages must then be forwarded to OWCP. Agencies should not change the indicated box in Item 39, however. A CA-1 received by OWCP with the “no lost time and no medical expense” or “first aid injury” box checked is excluded from reporting of agency timeliness statistics. This policy prevents agencies from being penalized improperly for claims that were appropriately kept onsite when initially filed.