H.R. 6087 would allow nurse practitioners and physician assistants to diagnose, prescribe treatment, and certify an injury and extent of disability for purposes of compensating federal workers under the Federal Employees’ Compensation Act (FECA). Using information from the Department of Labor, CBO expects that nonphysician providers would be compensated at the same rate as physicians and that total benefits provided to injured federal workers would not significantly change. Some people may receive treatment more quickly under the bill, which could increase costs over the 10-year period because outlays to reimburse medical providers for care expected after 2031 could occur earlier. On the other hand, if injured workers receive treatment faster, they may return to work more quickly, which could reduce costs for some FECA cases. Thus, CBO estimates that enacting H.R. 6087 would have an insignificant net effect on direct spending.
While FECA payments are mandatory, the costs are charged back to a claimant’s employing agency and those amounts are paid from the agency’s salaries and expense accounts. Any effect on spending would be subject to future appropriation actions.
