AAPA Urges U.S. House of Representatives to Pass 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 today calling on the U.S. House of Representatives to swiftly pass the Improving Access to Workers’ Compensation for Injured Federal Workers Act (H.R. 6087).

This bipartisan legislation, currently under floor consideration, seeks to modernize the Federal Employees’ Compensation Act (FECA) to cover services provided to injured federal workers by physician associates/assistants (PAs) and nurse practitioners (NPs).

“The Federal Employees’ Compensation Program currently excludes PAs from the program and creates an obsolete and unnecessary barrier that reduces access to care for approximately two million federal employees covered by FECA,” AAPA President and Chair of the Board Jennifer M. Orozco, DMSc, PA-C, DFAAPA said.

“Now is the time for the House to act to correct this arbitrary restriction for federal employees and ensure injured federal workers have better access to high-quality care without increasing federal spending. With more than 400 million patient visits annually, PAs are an essential part of today’s team-based healthcare. We urge the House to stand with patients and quickly pass this legislation to 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.”

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Media Contacts:
Jenni Roberson, 703.380.2764
Josh Birch, 443.614.5896

About the American Academy of Physician Associates (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.