Delays in federal workers’ comp can delay medical care, turning injuries into disabilities

Injured federal employees say their treatable injuries are at risk of progressing into lifelong disabilities because the workers’ compensation program that covers their medical costs and procedures is clogged by low staffing, convoluted processes and an increase in claims.

Workers and their advocates say filing a claim is a knotty experience of complicated paperwork and slow response times and, in some extreme cases, it can take years to get an approval.