South Michigan News: House passes bill to address fraud in federal workers compensation program

The House unanimously passed H.R. 8823, the Putting Patients First by Strengthening Provider Accountability in FECA Act, on July 20. The bipartisan legislation aims to strengthen the Federal Employees’ Compensation Act (FECA) and address fraud within the program.

Chairman Tim Walberg said, “Federal workers who are navigating an injury deserve timely, honest, and compassionate care—not to become the target of fraud. Unfortunately, certain medical providers have treated FECA like a personal ATM, submitting fraudulent claims and abusing the system at the expense of both taxpayers and the very people they were entrusted to help. This legislation puts an end to that abuse and reaffirms that these funds are meant to serve injured workers—not line the pockets of fraudsters.”

Congressman Mackenzie said, “As Chairman of the Workforce Protections Subcommittee, I’m committed to protecting workers’ benefits from fraudsters. Every dollar that goes to a fraudulent provider is one less dollar going towards providing high-quality care to an injured federal worker. Federal workers deserve commonsense protections in the law that safeguard their benefits against fraudsters. That’s why my bill, H.R. 8823, gives the Department of Labor permanent authority to suspend payments to medical care providers who are convicted of fraudulent activity.”

The legislation stops payments to medical providers convicted of fraud involving FECA or other government health care programs, prevents taxpayer dollars from going toward fraudulent activities, and ensures FECA funds support eligible workers rather than scammers.

The House Education and Workforce Committee manages federal programs concerning education, labor, health and workforce development; influences policy on issues such as student loans and worker protections; and serves in the legislative sector with jurisdiction over education and labor matters, according to its official website.