Administrative Closure - what NOT to do

I continue to speak to OWCP claimants who end up creating problems with their ongoing claim when there has been an administrative closure. In a FECA claim, its OWCP's burden of proof to end, terminate, your benefits. However, when there has been "no activity" in your case for a period of 120 or 180 days, sometimes a subsequent bill will trigger the provider being advised that there was an administrative closure, and that the claimant needs to call to address that.

DO NOT file a Recurrence if there is an administrative closure in your case. Your claims examiner should agree to remove the closure when you call and say there is a doctor bill. If there has been no decision terminating your claim, and your doctor did not write a report saying you are all better and discharging you, a claims examiner is supposed to remove the closure. If they tell you to file a Recurrence, they are wrong, and you should nicely ask them to have a Supervisor call you to discuss the situation.

If you file a Recurrence due to an administrative closure, you are making the process vastly more difficult for yourself.