Got Injured at Work? No Need to Panic with OWCP Form!

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Office of Workers’ Compensation form OWCP 957: Medical Travel Refund Request

Even though employers are required to provide not only comfortable working conditions but safety and security in the workplace for their employees, some accidents and incidents sometimes have place. For the purpose to prove their being responsible for the workers safety employers must compensate not only the cost of medication and treatment if a worker got injured, but also all the additional inevitable expenses, like medical travelling. To Request the Medical Travel Refund an employee who has suffered in a workplace accident must file US Department of Labor, Office of Workers’ Compensation form OWCP 957, which is actually called “Medical Travel Refund Request”. In this blog post, we will tell you how to use this form.

Who needs a Medical Travel Refund Request Form?

As it has been mention, the US Department of Labor issues the Form 957. A claimant of the Refund Request can be only a person who suffered in the work-related accident and they have to travel either to see a doctor, receive the medical services or medication related to an already established work-related illness. The grounds for the compensation of the impelled medical travel are any and all of the following:

  • Doctor Appointments
  • Medical Testing or Procedure Visits
  • Lab Visits
  • Prescription Pick-up, etc.

What is OWCP 957 Form for?

The 957 Form is required to be filled out an injured worker if they want all their travel expenses related to the injury or illness acknowledged as “work-related” to be compensated according to the Office of Workers’ Compensation Program. Yet the claimed transportation expenses have to be reasonable. For instance, the claimant should use public transport if it doesn’t harm their condition, or the roundtrip distance should not exceed 100 miles. If these conditions cannot be fulfilled it is necessary to obtain a relevant pre-approval of such expenses.

Is Medical Travel Refund Request accompanied by other forms?

There is no need to accompany the form by any other forms, yet some attachment are required. All the original receipts for claimed expenses must be provided, and besides, each original receipt must bear the claimant’s full name and Social Security Number. By the way it is strongly recommended to ask your attending physician, medical provider or a pharmacy, for a printout confirming how often you paid visits there.

When is OWCP Form 957 due?

The form should cover the expenses held within throughout one year. However, it is should kept in mind that only up to three trips can be claimed on one form. Otherwise, the 957 Form does not have a particular deadline for submission.

How do I fill out OWCP Form 957?

To be properly completed the Form 957 must provide the following information:

  • Claimant’s full name and case/claim number;
  • Payee’s full name ( if it is not the same person as a claimant);
  • Claimant’s or payee’s address;
  • Details of travel, including dates, modes, expenses (up to three trips can be covered)
  • Payee’s certification (signature and date)

Where do I send Medical Travel Refund Request Form?

The completed form along with all the required attachments should be sent to the US Department of Labor to the exact address: Division of Federal Employees’ Compensation (DFEC) Central Mailroom PO Box 8300, London, KY 40742-8300, or it can also be submitted electronically at https://www.ecomp.dol.gov.