Think of the MTF if injured on the job

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RANDOLPH AIR FORCE BASE, Texas --  When an Air Force civilian employee is injured on the job, time can be vitally important in getting that injury treated. One of the best solutions for both the employee and the Air Force is to use the base military treatment facility emergency room, - yet few employees take advantage of this resource.

"A recent Air Force audit on the Worker's Compensation Program found that less than 33 percent of injured employees seek out care at the MTF," said Matt Newburn, Employee Management Relations program manager at the Air Force Personnel Center here. "Although the AF audit only looked at 12 bases; it showed that an additional $3.4 million dollars was paid in workers' compensation medical costs as a result of employees not using the MTF."

The Worker's Compensation Program pays 100 percent of a covered employee's health costs, so if money isn't a prime factor, why don't injured employees go to the MTF?

"We believe that injured civilian workers feel that they aren't eligible to be treated at the MTF or that there won't be room for them," said Mr. Newburn. "But in most instances, that isn't true."

Most, but not all, base medical facilities have the resources to provide emergency treatment to a civilian injured on the job. The military treatment facility commander can provide care to federal employees based on space and facility limitations, staff capabilities, quality assurance concerns, effective use of the facility and resource and mission requirements. However, sometimes base MTFs experience temporary manning shortages as active duty members are deployed during wartime and other factors.

"Ask your supervisor if your base hospital accepts civilian employees for the initial treatment of a job related injury," said Mr. Newburn. "Each Civilian Personnel Flight has a designated staff member who administers the installation injury compensation program. Your supervisor should contact that person to find out if your base can assist with a job related injury in an emergency."

The Air Force would like to see an increase in MTF usage by civilian employees injured on the job. Using the MTF will expedite treatment of the medical emergency and in time result in an overall reduction of injury compensation costs.

The saying is that "time is money." When injured on the job, a federal employee can receive timely emergency health care for a job related injury by using the base hospital whenever it is available.