ACS is not a good source for finding willing OWCP / DOL work injury doctors. I repeat, it is NOT a good source. Many doctors who are on ACS are not even aware that they’re listed there. Many of them don’t even know what OWCP stands for. In a lot of cases, someone in the doctor’s office was getting the office credentialed on health plans like BCBS, Aetna, and United Healthcare, and they found Department of Labor and said, “hey, what’s this DOL thing?”
But, those doctors aren’t trained in department of labor workers comp. They will never take the time it takes to get trained to help injured federal employees. It’s just too hard. So, when you get hurt, and someone in your union tells you to check ACS, you will get frustrated. You’ll call 6 or 7 doctors and none of them will take OWCP. Why? Because they think it’s bad like state workers comp or they think it must be Medicare because it’s federal.
For you, it’s just one more hassle that started when you got hurt. You didn’t wake up that morning thinking, “hey, I think I’ll get hurt today so I can deal with endless battles and frustrations with my employer and with this complicated federal workers comp system.” And you go to someone that you trust for good advice and they tell you to check ACS?
ACS is not your solution. It’s nobody’s solution. ACS will just frustrate you. Don’t believe me? Check. Google “DOL ACS”. Click the first link on Google and see what happens. Prepare yourself for unamazement. You will be underwhelmed by how helpful it is. When you’re finished with ACS, you will be finished with OWCP. You’ll throw your hands up and say, “forget it”. You’ll work with pain because the pain of finding a doctor who will actually help you will be even more painful.
So, don’t go to ACS. DO NOT CHECK ACS. ACS will not help you. ACS is not your solution. ACS is that website you go to when you’re in the mood to throw your laptop across the room. It’s the website you go to when banging your head on the wall has gotten too painful. If you love a good migraine, go to ACS.
But in all seriousness, ACS is the website of choice for anyone responsible for telling you where to go when you’re hurt at work, but who is too scared to make an actual good recommendation that will actually help you. The people you trust to help you when you’re hurt should NEVER recommend ACS when they very well know of good doctors who can help you. Don’t accept ACS as a recommendation when you’re hurt at work. Expect more. ACS is not your solution.