Q: I am a postal service employee under FERS with a work-related injury. I am permanently restricted to four hours a day at a Limited Duty Position. If I were to take disability retirement, how would my injury-related medical expenses get paid? On the other hand, if I were able to hold off until MRA and take regular retirement, how would they get paid? What would happen to the four hour a day OWCP compensation in both scenarios? Can I still take disability retirement after I have reached MRA? What happens if my condition worsens?
A: If you retire, whether on an immediate or disability annuity, your workers’ compensation payments would end. They cannot be paid concurrently with a retirement annuity. You could still retire on disability after you reach your minimum retirement age. If you are covered by the Federal Employees Health Benefits program, any injury-related medical bills you have would be paid in the same way that your plan pays other medical bills. Neither your retirement nor your FEHB plan medical payments would change if your condition worsened.
