OWCP & Pre-Surgical Weight Loss
The Office of Workers’ Compensation Programs (OWCP) may cover weight loss programs for surgery in certain cases. For example, if a federal employee is required to lose weight in order to have surgery for a work-related injury, OWCP may cover the cost of the weight loss program.
In addition, OWCP may cover weight loss programs for surgery if they are medically necessary to treat a work-related injury. For example, if a federal worker’s obesity is causing them to experience severe pain or other health problems, OWCP may cover the cost of weight loss surgery to improve their quality of life.
To determine whether OWCP will cover a weight loss program for surgery, an employee must submit a claim to OWCP. OWCP will then review the employee’s medical records and other evidence to determine whether the weight loss program is medically necessary and causally related to the employee’s work-related injury.
Here are some examples of cases where OWCP may cover weight loss programs for surgery:
- An employee injures their knee at work and needs surgery to repair the damage. However, the employee is morbidly obese and the surgeon says that they need to lose weight before the surgery can be performed safely.
- An employee develops chronic back pain due to their job. The employee’s doctor says that they need to lose weight to reduce the strain on their back and improve their symptoms.
- An employee has a work-related heart attack. The employee’s doctor says that they need to lose weight to reduce their risk of another heart attack.
If you are an employee who is considering weight loss surgery, you should talk to your doctor to see if you may be eligible for coverage from OWCP. You should also contact OWCP directly to learn more about their requirements for covering weight loss programs for surgery.