WASHINGTON – The bi-state congressional delegation representing the Quad Cities is aiming to improve access to workers' compensation for federal employees in the region, including those at Rock Island Arsenal. Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R-Iowa) joined Sens. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) and Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), along with Rep. Eric Sorensen (D-Ill.), in urging the Department of Labor (DOL) to address challenges employees face when seeking treatment for injuries covered by workers’ compensation.
“The inability to get appointments with local providers has forced some federal employees to travel far away to seek treatment,” the lawmakers wrote to Acting Labor Secretary Julie Su. “Employees unable to travel are left to manage their injuries, which can deteriorate without timely treatment. Other employees are left paying medical bills out of their own pocket. Federal employees across the country are facing similar issues to those in the Quad Cities."
Currently, care providers can choose whether to accept federal workers’ compensation cases. Many providers in eastern Iowa and western Illinois choose not to accept these patients, citing difficulties in coordinating with and receiving payment from DOL. Grassley and his colleagues are demanding DOL swiftly improve its processes to encourage provider participation in the workers’ compensation program and help ensure federal employees who sustain injuries on the job can readily access the treatments they need.
Read the lawmakers’ full letter HERE.
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