What if I am permanently disabled? (Schedule Award)

When an injured worker has permanent loss of use of particular body parts or organs, he or she may request a schedule award by submitting a CA-7 Claim for a Schedule Award and an impairment rating completed by his or her treating physician.

The impairment rating can only be completed after maximum medical improvement has been reached and must be in accordance with the 6th Edition of the American Medical Association Guides to the Evaluation of Permanent Impairment, referencing the appropriate tables and citing the date of maximum medical improvement. Impairment ratings may be done in a narrative format.

There is not a form for the physician to complete for the impairment rating unless the Claims Examiner has provided one in response to incomplete medical documentation previously submitted.

You may file the form on the ECOMP site. Your agency will complete its portion and forward the CA-7 to OWCP.

Once the completed CA-7 and the impairment rating have been received, reviewed, and determined to appear complete by the claims examiner, he or she forwards it to the district medical advisor (DMA) for review. In some situations, the Claims Examiner must develop the claim by contacting the claimant, employer, or rating physician for additional information. In some cases, the claimant must be referred to a second opinion medical examination to obtain a complete impairment rating.