| Summer 2007
You Need to Know
By Jo Betsy Norton •
Vice President of Public Affairs
Legislature passes workers' compensation bills
The 80th session of the Texas Legislature ended on May 28. Lawmakers
passed three workers' compensation bills that employers should know about.
Senate Bill 1627. The bill allows workers' comp fraud to be prosecuted under the Labor Code or any other criminal statute. The bill may result in stronger penalties for fraud.
House Bill 886. The bill allows an optional preauthorization plan for the small employer return-to-work program through the Texas Department of Insurance, Division of Workers' Compensation. The program reimburses employers with two employees to 50 employees up to $2,500 for costs incurred in modifying a workspace to bring an injured employee back to work. The total annual reimbursement under the program is limited to $100,000. House Bill 886 allows employers to submit their plan for modifications in advance and receive a guarantee of reimbursement for expenses.
- Allows health insurance companies to pursue reimbursement from workers' comp insurers for health care services paid on claims that were later determined to be compensable
- Provides that the parents of injured employees who die with no other eligible dependents are eligible for up to 104 weeks of death benefits
- Restores a pre-court step in the medical dispute resolution process
Click here for more workers' comp-related bills.
New disability management rules take effect
The disability management rules adopted by the Texas Department of Insurance, Division of Workers' Compensation (DWC) went into effect on May 1. The DWC adopted treatment and return-to-work guidelines to be used by system participants in conjunction with the rules. The DWC also adopted a rule regarding required treatment planning to take effect September 1, but this rule has been repealed. For more information about the rules, visit www.tdi.state.tx.us/wc/indexwc.html.
State to release first network report card this fall
The Texas Department of Insurance Research and Evaluation Group plans to release its first network report card in September 2007. Report cards will evaluate
employee access to care, return-to-work outcomes, health-related outcomes, employee satisfaction with care, health care costs and utilization of health care.
Learn more about the workers' comp system
The Texas Department of Insurance, Division of Workers' Compensation (DWC) will hold its annual educational conferences this fall. The Austin conference will be September 24-26 at the Crowne Plaza. The Dallas conference will be October 24-26 at the Renaissance Dallas-Richardson. The DWC invites employers and other system participants to attend.
You need to know more
If you want to keep up with legislative changes to the workers' compensation system, register for our free You Need to Know email service. We will send you email updates as warranted.
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You Need to Know:
Legislature passes workers' compensation bills
New disability management rules take effect
State to release first network report card this fall
Learn more about the workers' comp system
You need to know more
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