Workers' Compensation

• Division of Workers' Compensation - Home Page
  [Links previously available on the Texas Workers' Compensation Commission website]
  
  Workers' compensation is a state-regulated insurance program that pays medical bills and replaces some lost wages for employees who are injured at work or who have work-related diseases or illnesses. The division, which became a part of the Texas Department of Insurance on September 1, 2005, is charged with ensuring that injured workers are compensated fairly and appropriately for workplace injuries.
  
  
• Workers' Compensation Reform / Transition
  [Links to HB7 information, key provisions of the bill and items pertaining specifically to employees, employers and health care providers]
  
  The 79th Texas Legislature enacted workers' compensation reform through House Bill 7, signed by Governor Perry on June 1, 2005 with key provisions effective September 1, 2005. The bill addresses specific problems in the Texas workers' comp system, namely, high medical costs, poor return-to-work outcomes, and the structure of the state agency charged with administering the system.
  
  

Shopping for
Workers' Comp
Workers' Compensation Basics

• The workers' compensation system is the method by which covered workers are compensated for work-related injuries or illnesses.
  
• Workers' comp coverage is not required in Texas.
  
• With coverage, an employer's insurance company or certified self-insurance plan pays scheduled benefits for work-related injuries.
  

• Workers' Compensation Provider Networks
  [Links to network rules and frequently asked questions]
  
  House Bill 7 calls for the creation of health care networks. An employer may elect to purchase workers' compensation health care network coverage, and employees are required to obtain medical treatment for a compensable injury through the health care network if they live within the network's service area.
  
  
• Workers' Compensation
  [Links to publications, rate comparisons, reports and studies, forms and data calls]
  
  The Workers' Compensation staff conducts research on workers' compensation, tracks rates and publishes comparison guides to help businesses shop for your workers' compensation and employers' liability insurance in Texas. On August 31, 2003, the Research and Oversight Council on Workers' Compensation (ROC) closed its operations. The ROC's research functions were transferred to the Texas Department of Insurance by House Bill 28 in the 3rd Called Session of the 78th Legislature. ROC research materials and reports are now available from the Texas Department of Insurance Web site at www.tdi.state.tx.us/wc/regulation/roc/index.html.
  
  

For more information contact: Webstaff@tdi.state.tx.us