Printing - FECA-PT2 - National Association of Letter Carriers

. Claims for Increased Schedule Award. Such claims may be based on incorrect calculation of
the original award or on additional exposure.
2-0808-8 Disfigurement
(1) If it is determined after payment of a schedule award that the claimant is entitled to
a greater percentage of loss, an amended award should be issued. The pay rate will remain
the same, and the revised award will begin on the day following the end of the award issued
previously.
(2) If, on the other hand, the claimant sustains increased impairment at a later date
which is due to work-related factors, an additional award will be payable if supported by the
medical evidence. In this case, the original award is undisturbed and the new award has its
own date of maximum medical
improvement, percent and period.
(3) In some instances, particularly in hearing loss cases, a claim for an additional
schedule award will be based on an additional period of exposure. This constitutes a new
claim and should be handled as such. Where a schedule award is paid before exposure
terminates, no additional award will be paid for periods of less than one year from the
beginning date of the last award or the date of the last exposure, whichever comes first.
If the claimant requests review of such a case, he or she must be asked to clarify whether
the request is for review of the award or for additional compensation subsequent to the
prior award.
(a) If the claimant is requesting review of the award, the case will be processed
as a request for reconsideration, hearing, or appeal, whichever is applicable.
(b) If the claimant is requesting additional compensation, the CE will inform the
claimant that a new claim should be filed one year after the beginning date of the
last award or the date of last exposure, whichever occurs first.
(4) If a claimant who has received a schedule award calculated under a previous edition
of the AMA Guides is entitled to additional benefits, the increased award will be calculated
according to the Sixth Edition. Should the subsequent calculation result in a percentage of
impairment lower than the original award (as sometimes occurs), a finding should be made
that the claimant has no more than the percentage of impairment originally awarded, that
the evidence does not establish an increased impairment, and that the Office has no basis
for declaring an overpayment. Similarly, awards made prior to May 1, 2009 (the effective
date for use of the Sixth Edition) should not be reconsidered merely on the basis that the
Guides have changed. (All permanent partial impairment calculations made on or after May
1, 2009 must be based on the Sixth Edition.)
Between March 7, 1977 and February 23, 1986, the OWCP used only the frequencies of
1000, 2000, and 3000 cps to determine an award for hearing loss.
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