AAPA Applauds House Passage of Improving Access to Workers’ Compensation for Injured Federal Workers Act
ALEXANDRIA, Va. (June 7, 2022) — The American Academy of Physician Associates (AAPA) issued the following statement in response to the passage of the Improving Access to Workers’ Compensation for Injured Federal Workers Act (H.R. 6087) by the U.S. House of Representatives.
This bipartisan legislation seeks to modernize the Federal Employees’ Compensation Act (FECA) to cover services provided to injured federal workers by physician associates/physician assistants (PAs) and nurse practitioners (NPs).
“AAPA commends the sponsors of H.R. 6087, Rep. Joe Courtney and Rep. Tim Walberg, for securing support for this legislation that will ensure PAs are recognized under the Federal Employees’ Compensation Program to diagnose medical conditions, certify injury and extent of disability, and oversee patient treatment and care,” AAPA President and Chair of the Board Jennifer M. Orozco, DMSc, PA-C, DFAAPA said.
“The current policy excludes PAs from this program and creates an obsolete and unnecessary barrier that reduces access to care for approximately two million federal employees covered by FECA. With more than 400 million patient visits annually, PAs are an essential part of today’s team-based healthcare. We urge the Senate to stand with patients and quickly pass this legislation to correct this arbitrary restriction for federal employees and ensure injured federal workers have better access to quality care without increasing federal spending.”
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Media Contacts:
Jenni Roberson, 703.380.2764
Josh Birch, 443.614.5896
About the American Academy of PAs (AAPA)
AAPA is the national membership organization for all PAs (physician associates/physician assistants). PAs are licensed clinicians who practice medicine in every specialty and setting. Trusted, rigorously educated and trained healthcare professionals, PAs are dedicated to expanding access to care and transforming health and wellness through patient-centered, team-based medical practice. PA has been named one of the best jobs overall and one of the best healthcare jobs for the fifth year in a row by U.S. News & World Report. The PA profession ranked number three this year in Best STEM jobs. Learn more about the profession at aapa.org and engage through Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, and Twitter.
