OIG: Pandemic Delayed FECA Claim Adjudication

The U.S. Office of Inspector General reported that the COVID-19 pandemic delayed adjudication of federal workers’ compensation claims and that changes to the federal opioid management rules did not increase use of narcotic painkillers. The Office of Workers’ Compensation Program received 2,866 claims for COVID-19 in the first five months following the declaration of a national public health emergency, OIG said. “As a result of this influx, OWCP’s Federal Employees’ Compensation Program anticipated a potential strain on resources and claims processing delays,&rdq...