What if there was a form that existed for 32 years, specifically designed to tell federal employees exactly what to do when they get hurt—yet almost no one has ever seen it? In this episode of Breaking OWCP, Chris dives deep into his favorite topic: The CA-10 Form.

Chris explains why the CA-10 is supposed to be posted on every employee bulletin board, and breaks down its five simple steps that can be the difference between an accepted claim and a denied one. Later in the episode, Chris circles back to MMI (Maximum Medical Improvement), explaining how to transition from medical treatment to receiving a cash Schedule Award.

In This Episode You Will Learn:

• The Missing CA-10: Why you need to print this form immediately and post it in your breakroom or union hall.
• The 4-Hour Rule (CA-16): How to force your agency to pay your medical bills for the first 60 days, and why your supervisor only has 4 hours to give you this form.
• Choosing Your Doctor: The law explicitly states you cannot be forced to use an agency-contracted doctor (like an urgent care or VA doctor). Chris explains why picking the right doctor first prevents the nightmare of changing treating physicians later.
• The "Notice of Receipt": Why leaving the supervisor's office without a signed copy of your CA-1/CA-2 receipt is a massive mistake.
• COP (Continuation of Pay): You have 3 years to report an injury, but only 30 days to report if you want to receive COP.
• MMI & Schedule Awards: A deep dive into Maximum Medical Improvement, the AMA 6th Edition impairment rating, and why spine injuries cannot receive a Schedule Award (unless they affect the extremities).

Timestamps:

• [01:00] The 32-year mystery of the CA-10 Form.
• [04:45] Step 1: Reporting to your supervisor (The 3-Year vs. 30-Day rules).
• [06:45] Step 2: The CA-16 Form and the 4-Hour deadline to get your bills paid.
• [08:10] Step 3: Your right to choose your initial treating physician.
• [11:00] Step 4: Forcing your supervisor to process your CA-1 or CA-2 forms.
• [13:30] Step 5: The "Notice of Receipt" and COP elections.
• [28:15] Topic 2: Defining MMI (Maximum Medical Improvement).
• [29:00] The AMA 6th Edition rule for Schedule Awards.
• [36:00] Q&A: Adding conditions via a "Diagnosis Expansion."
• [37:00] Q&A: What happens if you hit MMI but still can't do your job? (Federal Disability vs. Schedule Awards).

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