Printing - FECA-PT2 - National Association of Letter Carriers

After talking with the RS, the CE will advise the claimant of the consequences of
non-cooperation with rehabilitation efforts, as outlined in PM Chapter 2-0813. Should the
claimant later cooperate with rehabilitation efforts, the process should resume at the point
where it was suspended.
Cases in the PNE/Assisted Reemployment stage are handled slightly differently, however.
The claimant should be rated in the job for which he or she was trained at the end of the
90-day period, with no sanctions applied.
(2) Suspension of rehabilitation efforts for medical reasons, or any further extensions
beyond the time frames stated above for plan development and placement, will require the
CE's concurrence. The RS or RC should provide rationale for any such request, and after
review by the RS, the CE should act promptly on it.
(3) If the severity of the injury and/or the job market in the claimant's commuting area
prevents development of a vocational rehabilitation plan, the RS will specify the reasons so
that the CE can decide whether the case should be placed in PN status. The RS should not
close the rehabilitation file without evidence of jobs suitable to the claimant's medical
limitations, or without the CE's concurrence that medical limitations make re-employment
infeasible.
(4) A claimant who initially returns to work may later cease work before a formal LWEC
decision is issued. If this occurs, the CE should decide, preferably together with the RS,
whether to apply sanctions, resume the RC's efforts, or provide the services of an OWCP
RN.
(5) Nurse and vocational rehabilitation services will not routinely be used at the same
time, as noted in paragraph 5e(5) above. Sometimes, however, such dual action will be
desirable, as for instance when the claimant undergoes surgery or sustains a consequential
injury during the rehabilitation effort, or the claimant leaves a job after an apparently
successful placement but before an LWEC decision is issued.
(a) Where the RS requests RN intervention, he or she will prepare OWCP-3 for
the CE and RN.
(b) Where the CE believes that both RN and RS should intervene, he or she will
so advise the RN via Form OWCP-57 and the RS via Form OWCP-14.
[For a fuller discussion, see FECA PM Chapter 3-201 (for nurse services) and OWCP PM
Chapter 3-201 (for rehabilitation services).]
2-0600-12 Case Resolution
12. Case Resolution. This paragraph discusses how cases are usually resolved.
a. Termination with No Continuing Injury-Related Disability. Pre-termination notices and
formal decisions are discussed in PM Chapter 2-1400. Where nurse or rehabilitation services are
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