Covered-illness lookup
Is my condition covered?
No match — but that doesn't mean no claim.
FECA has no exhaustive list. If work caused it, it can be covered. Ask us about your specific condition, free.
The evidence rule that decides these cases
Having a covered condition is necessary but not sufficient. A doctor must connect your specific condition to your specific work duties with medical reasoning — not just note that you have it. That single paragraph is where most claims are won or lost.
✗ Weak (gets denied)
"Patient has lumbar radiculopathy. He reports lifting at work."
✓ Strong (gets accepted)
"Repetitive lifting of 40–70 lb parcels over 14 years produced degenerative disc disease at L4-L5. The March 3 incident aggravated this condition, for the following reasons…"
The difference: specificity, duty description, and the word because. Your doctor doesn't need legal language — they need to explain the mechanism.
"Aggravation" is the most underused word in FECA. You don't need a pristine body before the job. If your work made a pre-existing condition worse, that aggravation is fully compensable. Degenerative discs + decades of lifting = a valid claim. Tell your doctor.
Consequential conditions — the claim within the claim
A condition caused by an accepted injury can be added to your existing claim without filing a new one. Depression after chronic pain, an opposite-knee injury from an altered gait, weight gain from immobility, sleep disorders from medication — these are called consequential conditions, and OWCP pays for them if a doctor draws the line.
The practical move: At your next appointment, ask your doctor: "Could any of my other conditions be a consequence of my accepted work injury?" If yes, ask them to write a brief narrative connecting the two. Then submit it to OWCP with a letter requesting the claim be expanded.