Printing - FECA-PT2 - United States Department of Labor

The Supervisory Claims Examiner (SCE) may refer a case to a SrCE/GS-12 CE if he or she
determines that such a case would benefit from a conference; however, in most instances,
the SrCE/GS-12 CE is responsible for identifying cases for conferencing.
3. Types of Conferences. All conferences are to be non-adversarial in nature. There
are two specific types of conferences – formal conferences and informal conferences. This
chapter focuses primarily on formal conferences. Informal conferences as part of the
Disability Management process are discussed in greater detail in PM Chapter 2-0600-12.
a. Formal Conferences. A formal conference may be conducted in the following
types of situations.
(1) When entitlement (due process) is involved, e.g., during the
adjudication of a claim or reaching a final determination in an overpayment
case.
(2) When an issue is in dispute or where detailed technical evidence is
required to decide an issue in a case.
In most other instances, an informal conference may be sufficient.
b. Informal Conferences. Ongoing and steady communication between all
parties involved in the DM process is vital to a successful resolution, and informal
conferences are a particularly effective means of addressing issues that arise that
may impede the return-to-work process. Conferences are also helpful when
miscommunication between one or more parties has occurred.
Participants involved in an informal conference will vary greatly depending on the
issue. During nurse intervention, the Field Nurse (FN) will often be involved as well
as the employing agency and the claimant. During vocational rehabilitation, often
times the Rehabilitation Specialist (RS) and the Rehabilitation Counselor (RC) will
participate along with the claimant and CE.
(1) An informal conference during DM should have the goal of addressing
the concerns of all involved parties and arriving at a solution that addresses
participant concerns whenever feasible within the confines and parameters of
the FECA program.
(2) Some reasons for conferencing during the DM process include:
disputed medical evidence being used for a return-to-work effort; questions
regarding the duties in a job offer; personnel issues pertaining to a job offer;
and expectations during the various phases of vocational rehabilitation,
including placement.
(3) A detailed Form CA-110 (record of call) or a memorandum to the file
which documents the conference discussion should be placed in the case file.