What Happened at Work?
The first major fork is whether the condition arose from a specific event or events during one workday or shift, or from work exposure over more than one workday or shift.
Specific Event — One Workday / Shift
A fall, lifting incident, collision, assault, or another identifiable event occurring during a single workday or shift generally starts with CA-1.
CA-1 GUIDERepeated Exposure — More Than One Shift
A condition developing from repeated duties, exposure, or work factors over more than one workday or shift generally starts with CA-2.
CA-2 GUIDEBuild the Medical Evidence
OWCP decisions frequently turn on whether the medical evidence adequately establishes diagnosis, causal relationship, disability, work restrictions, treatment needs, and—when applicable—permanent impairment.
CA-16
Authorization for initial examination and/or treatment following a traumatic injury.
CA-20
Organizes diagnosis, objective findings, causation, disability status, and restrictions.
CA-17
Communicates work capacity and specific medically supported restrictions to the employing agency.
OWCP-5c
Detailed functional capacity information for musculoskeletal conditions.
When the Injury Causes Lost Time From Work
A traumatic injury may involve Continuation of Pay for a limited period when the requirements are met. Wage loss beyond COP—or wage loss in occupational disease claims—is generally claimed through CA-7 and must be supported by medical evidence of disability due to the accepted condition.
Continuation of Pay
COP applies to qualifying traumatic-injury claims and cannot exceed 45 calendar days. Medical evidence is still needed to support disability from work.
CA-1 / COPCA-7 Compensation
Use the CA-7 framework for disability compensation, including wage-loss periods and other applicable compensation claims.
CA-7 GUIDEContinuing Disability
All claimed wage-loss periods need medical support showing that the accepted work condition caused disability during the period claimed.
MEDICAL EVIDENCEWhat Can the Employee Safely Do?
As recovery progresses, the medical question may shift from complete disability to functional capacity. Specific restrictions help the agency understand whether regular duty, modified duty, or continued disability is medically appropriate.
Recurrence & Ongoing Claim Issues
Recurrence
An accepted condition or disability may recur without a new intervening injury. CA-2a is used to report a recurrence.
CA-2a GUIDENew Injury or Exposure?
A new work event or new exposure may represent a new claim rather than a recurrence. The factual and medical history matters.
CA-1 CA-2Ongoing Medical Care
The accepted condition, treatment authorization, medical documentation, and current work status continue to shape the case after acceptance.
PROVIDER SEARCHFollow the Issue Through the Life of the Claim
Once you know the problem you are dealing with, these centers take you beyond the basic forms and into the major procedural stages of a FECA claim.
Medical Evidence
Diagnosis, causation, disability, restrictions and reasoned medical opinions.
OPEN CENTER →Disability & Wage Loss
COP, CA-7, intermittent wage loss, leave buyback and continuing compensation.
OPEN CENTER →Return to Work
Restrictions, modified duty, suitable work and vocational rehabilitation.
OPEN CENTER →Second Opinion / Referee
OWCP-directed exams, medical conflicts and impartial specialists.
OPEN CENTER →LWEC
Actual earnings, constructed positions, Shadrick and modification of LWEC decisions.
OPEN CENTER →From MMI to Schedule Award
When an accepted condition results in permanent impairment of a scheduled member, organ, or function, the claim may move into the Schedule Award process after maximum medical improvement.
SCHEDULE AWARD CENTERCALCULATORTools, Guides & Quick Access
Estimate compensation from salary, scheduled weeks, and impairment percentage.
OPEN CALCULATOR →Use the official provider database with Ellis Clinic's cautions about interpreting listings.
FIND PROVIDERS →Browse the growing Ellis Clinic collection of FECA guides and practical resources.
OPEN LIBRARY →Start here when general information is not enough and an individual medical evaluation is needed.
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