If you have heard "we don't take DOL" five times today, it is not you. It is the system, and there are ways around it.
Why offices say no
- Paperwork. OWCP needs its own medical reports and enrollment, separate from regular insurance and from state workers' comp.
- Payment. OWCP pays by its own fee schedule, and some offices report slow payments and hard to get authorizations.
- Confusion. Many front desks do not know OWCP is a federal program, and say no to anything that sounds like workers' comp.
The 2023 letter from members of Congress described exactly this: providers who stopped seeing Labor Department patients while still showing on the official list.
Five ways to find a yes
- Start with recent billers. Every office on this site billed OWCP in the last 12 months.
- Use the right words. Say "OWCP, the Department of Labor's federal employees' comp program," not just "workers' comp."
- Try occupational medicine. Work injuries are their specialty.
- Look a little farther. OWCP generally treats up to 100 miles round trip as reasonable, and pays travel. See our travel guide.
- Ask the office manager, not just the front desk. The billing team knows whether they are enrolled.
"Hi, I'm a federal employee with a work injury under OWCP, the Department of Labor's workers' comp program. Are you enrolled with OWCP and taking new DOL patients right now? My claim number is ____."
Find offices that billed OWCP in the last 12 months near you.
Common questions
Is OWCP the same as state workers' comp?
No. OWCP runs the Federal Employees' Compensation Act for federal workers. State workers' comp covers private and state employees and has its own rules.
Sources
- Letter from members of Congress to DOL on federal workers' access to OWCP doctors (Dec. 2023)
- U.S. Department of Labor, OWCP provider search
- 20 CFR 10.315, transportation to medical treatment
Last reviewed October 4, 2026. This guide explains the rules in plain English and is not legal advice.
