Report Questions Quality of Medical Care for Workers in War Zones

The subcommittee found that the federal workers' compensation program, set up to deal with the typical injuries that happen in a workplace, is the primary source of medical coverage for wounded federal employees returning from the combat zones.

In the workers' comp program, the burden of proof for validating a combat-zone injury falls on the employee and can require substantial time and paperwork. The report recommends that the program form a special office that is adequately staffed and able to readily answer questions from wounded employees.

Snyder said it took about a month for the workers' comp program to respond to the subcommittee's questions about what types of war-zone injuries qualify for coverage. The program, for example, determined that an off-duty employee playing basketball who was injured by mortar fire would be covered by the program.

Snyder and Akin said that many of the issues raised by the subcommittee review are outside the jurisdiction of the Armed Services Committee, but that the panel intends to continue studying civil service benefits, incentives and medical care as they relate to combat zones. The Congressional Research Service and the Government Accountability Office are collecting data, and the Defense Department has been asked to provide a report on civilian benefits.

"These things have not been carefully analyzed or defined," Akin said.

Stephen Barr's e-mail address is barrs@washpost.com.