Improving Access to Workers' Compensation for Injured Federal Workers Act of 2022

Floor Speech

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Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Connecticut for yielding.

Madam Speaker, more than 2 million Federal employees provide key services to the public. In fact, during the height of the pandemic, Federal workers were critical in delivering vaccines, personal protective equipment, and other COVID relief to the American people. So it stands to reason that when a Federal worker gets sick or injured on the job, we are obligated to provide them and their families with the resources and medical care that they need.

Today, we can improve that effort by providing expanded healthcare access for injured Federal workers who are seeking healthcare covered by Federal workers' compensation. We live in a country where people are increasingly turning to nurse practitioners and physician assistants as their primary healthcare provider. This is particularly true in rural America where they are disproportionately impacted by physician shortages.

Unfortunately, Federal law now limits what can be reimbursed under Federal workers' compensation, forcing injured workers to see only a physician to certify the injury and disability as work-related and to deliver services. It is time to correct this lag in access to healthcare. After all, core Federal healthcare programs, including Medicare and the Veterans Affairs' system, already recognize services delivered by nurse practitioners and physician assistants if provided within the scope of practice allowed by State law.

This bill would allow nurse practitioners and physician assistants to receive reimbursement for healthcare services they are providing to injured Federal workers if, and only if, those services are already permissible under their State laws.

Madam Speaker, a ``yes'' vote on this bill is a step to expand the group of available healthcare providers consistent with existing State law so that we can ensure injured Federal workers and their families get the support and care they deserve.

I thank the gentleman from Connecticut (Mr. Courtney) for his leadership on the bill, along with the distinguished member of the Committee on Education and Labor, the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Walberg), and the committee's ranking member, Dr. Foxx, for their support of this legislation.

Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support the Improving Access to Workers' Compensation for Injured Federal Workers Act.

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