United States Government Publishing Office publisher pbl distributor dst United States Government Accountability Office author aut Government Organization text government publication eng GAOREPORTS Legislative Agency Publications gao legislative 2010-08-12 U.S. Government Printing Office 2002-05-09 monographic deposited born digital GA 1.13:GAO-02-637 https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-GAO-02-637 P0b002ee18039a78d f:d02637 DGPO 2010-08-12 2011-03-24 GAOREPORTS-GAO-02-637 machine generated eng fdlp REPORT GAOREPORTS-GAO-02-637 GAO-02-637 Claims processing Claims reconsiderations Claims settlement Compensation claims Customer service Internal controls Physicians Workers compensation DOL Black Lung Program SSA Disability Program Other Written Product A03286

The Department of Labor's Office of Workers' Compensation Programs (OWCP) paid $2.1 billion in medical and death benefits and received about 174,000 new injury claims during fiscal year 2000. GAO found that (1) one in four appealed claims' decisions are reversed or remanded to OWCP district offices for additional consideration and a new decision because of questions about or problems with the initial claims decision; (2) OWCP set a goal of informing 96 percent of claimants within 110 days of the date of the hearing; (3) nearly all doctors used by OWCP to provide opinions on injuries claimed were board certified and state licensed, and were specialists in areas consistent with the injuries they evaluate; and (4) OWCP has used mailed surveys, telephone surveys, and focus groups to measure customer satisfaction. The Labor inspector general is monitoring fraud within OWCP's workers compensation program and using the claims examiners as one source in identifying potentially fraudulent claims. https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-GAO-02-637/html/GAOREPORTS-GAO-02-637.htm GAO-02-637 https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-GAO-02-637 Other Written Product GAO-02-637; Office of Workers' Compensation Programs: Further Actions Are Needed to Improve Claims Review; Claims processing Claims reconsiderations Claims settlement Compensation claims Customer service Internal controls Physicians Workers compensation DOL Black Lung Program SSA Disability Program Title 5 Section 8101 5 U.S.C. 8101