Streamline and expedite claims processing

1
Pipeline Program Coordinator Susan
Atwood 303-844-1150
2

• Objectives
• Pipeline Program Overview and Eligibility
• Pipeline Process from request to confirmation
• Job Offers Unique considerations
• Questionnaire
• QA

3

• Pipeline Program Overview
• An initiative authorized by the Secretary of
  Defense to encourage return-to-work efforts for
  DoD civilian employees, who have been injured on
  the job, who can no longer perform their
  date-of-injury job.

4

• Why was the Program created?
• To create opportunities for DoD injured civilians
  to continue their career in Federal service
• To reduce lost production days due to
  work-related injury and illness
• To reduce wage loss compensation costs

5

• Why was the Program created?
• FY 2008
• 2.573 Billion Federal Employee Compensation
• for all of government
• 614 Million DoD Employee Compensation
• 425 Million is wage loss compensation
• 1.2 Million/day in wage loss compensation

6

• Why was the Program created?
• To address the two most significant issues that
  have historically prevented reemployment
  of our injured workers
• Resource Allocation no current FTE
• Funding no funds available to create a
  light
• duty position

7

• What does Pipeline provide?
• Over hire authority to reemploy injured workers
  who have the ability to return to some type of
  work, but can no longer perform their
  date-of-injury job.
• Funds to cover salary, health insurance, life
  insurance, and 1 TSP for one full year.

8

• Each component (AF, AR, NV, DoD) contributes
  dollars to the program annually.
• By accepting Pipeline funding, the employing
  agency agrees to integrate the injured worker
  into an agency funded position during the one
  year of pipeline funding.

9

• Program Statistics 2005 through 2008
• of cases Future Cost
  Avoidance
• Air Force 167 90,789,991
• Army 243 151,756,112
• Navy 205 174,022,490
• DOD 71 40,539,719
• Totals 686
  457,108,312

10

• 2009 Cumulative
• of Pipeline Future Cost
• Month Offers Avoidance
• October 17 11,918,124.53
• November 11 19,637,788.17
• December 9 26,018200,52
• January 2009 8 30,266,971.03
• February
• March
• April
• May
• June
• July Average 673,000 Future Cost Avoidance
  per case
• August
• September
• Total amount of wage loss compensation that
  would have been paid to each injured worker
  through age 75 had the opportunity to return to
  work not been offered.

11

• Who is Eligible?
• Any DoD installation may request assistance of
  the Pipeline Program. The injured employee being
  returned to work must be an appropriated fund
  civilian employee who has an accepted workers
  compensation claim. (Not National Guard)
• The Injured worker must have received wage loss
  compensation for a minimum of 90 days in the
  recent past (can be COP LWOP)
• -OR-
• Statement on Agency Letterhead But for the
  availability of the Pipeline Program the Injured
  worker would be separated or sent home and would
  have entitlement to wage loss compensation.

12

• Pipeline Process
• Within 60 days of the employees acceptance of
  the position
• The permanent job offer, the injured workers
  signed acceptance, and the position description
  of the position offered is submitted to the DoD
  Liaison. (Plus the But for Pipeline letter on
  agency letterhead, if necessary.)
• The ICPA and/or the DoD Liaison will complete
  the Pipeline Candidate Worksheet.
• The DoD Liaison will submit the Pipeline packet
  (offer, acceptance, PD and Worksheet) to the
  Pipeline Program Coordinator.

13

• Pipeline Candidate Worksheet
• Available on DefPAC
• Must clearly indicate MIPR POC
• MIPR phone number
• MIPR fax number
• MIPR email address
• MIPR physical address

14

• Pipeline Process
• The Pipeline Program Coordinator will authorize
  funding for eligible employees and submit a MIPR
  to BMD
• .
• BMD will MIPR funds to the employing agency -
  usually within 3-5 days.
• The MIPR POC at the employing agency must
  acknowledge acceptance of the MIPRd funds to
  BMD.

15

• Pipeline Process
• The Pipeline Program Coordinator will notify the
  submitting DoD Liaison of acceptance or denial.
• An acceptance will state the amount of Pipeline
  funding being sent by MIPR, and, the Projected
  Cost Avoidance.
• A denial will state the reason why the case
  could not be accepted into the Pipeline Program.
• The DoD Liaison can pass this information on to
  you.

16

• Job Offers
• OWCP Required Elements of a Job Offer
• Title of the job being offered
• Description of the duties to be performed
• Physical requirements of the position
• Organizational and geographical location of the
  job
• Date the job is available
• Date by which a response to the job offer is
  required
• Pay rate

17

• Job Offers
• Relocation
• If the employee has been separated, and accepting
  the position would require the employee to move
  to a new location, the following statement should
  be incorporated into the job offer
• There is no DoD agency within a 50 mile radius
  of your current home address that has a permanent
  position to offer you that is within your
  permanent restrictions. PCS costs to the
  location of this position will be paid for by the
  employing agency.

18

• Job Offers
• Relocation
• Evidence to verify that all DoD installations
  within a 50 mile radius of the claimants current
  address have been contacted, ask if they have
  permanent light duty available to offer the
  injured worker, and each installations negative
  response must be submitted to OWCP for inclusion
  in the case file prior to making the job offer.
• Evidence mail correspondence documentation of
  this activity/task

19

• Check with your Liaison when you are preparing
  to make a job offer to an injured worker to see
  if the case will qualify for Pipeline funding.

20

• Questionnaire
• DOL CPO Code
• Used Pipeline in the past?
• Cases with return to work capacity?
• Obstacles to be overcome?
• Discussion/contact with your Liaison?
• Discussion/contact with the Pipeline Program
  Coordinator?
• On-site Pipeline presentation at your
  installation?
• Comments concerning obstacles, assistance, or
  anything else

21
Assistance is available at any time from CPMS
Headquarters or the Pipeline Program
Manager. CPMS Headquarters (703)
696-1985 Pipeline Program Manager (303)
844-1150 Or any of the District DoD Liaisons
22

• QUESTIONS?
• Pipeline Program Coordinator
• Susan Atwood
• [phone]