Texas Department of Insurance
www.tdi.state.tx.us - Consumer Helpline 1-800-252-3439
January 12, 2007
Commissioner Betts Signs Disability Management RulesFOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE FOR MORE INFORMATION AUSTIN, TX -- Commissioner of Workers’ Compensation Albert Betts has signed rules that establish treatment guidelines, treatment planning benchmarks, and return-to-work goals and time frames which can be used to provide health care to injured employees in the Texas workers’ compensation system. The rules (28 Texas Administrative Code §§137.1, 137.10, 137.100, and 137.300) are referred to as disability management rules and are necessary to implement Texas Labor Code §413.011. Beginning May 1, 2007, health care providers are required to use Texas Department of Insurance, Division of Workers’ Compensation (DWC) treatment and return-to-work guidelines when providing non-network health care to injured employees in the workers’ compensation system. Health care providers are encouraged to review the disability management rules prior to the effective date. The rules were published in the Texas Register on January 12, 2007 and are posted on the DWC website at the following link: DWC will be providing training to health care providers on the new rules and use of treatment and return-to-work guidelines prior to May 1, 2007. “These rules provide a framework to improve communications among injured employees, health care providers, employers, insurance carriers, and the Division,” Commissioner Betts said. “Disability management is a process designed to optimize health care and return-to-work for injured employees in order to avoid unnecessarily delayed recovery.” Commissioner Betts adopted the most current edition of the Official Disability Guidelines-Treatment in Workers’ Comp (ODG) as the Division’s medical treatment guidelines and the most current edition of The Medical Disability Advisor, Workplace Guidelines for Disability Duration (MDA) as the Division’s return-to-work guidelines. More information about the ODG guideline is available from the Work Loss Data Institute website at: http://www.worklossdata.com/texasform.htm Additional information about the MDA guideline is available from the Reed Group website at: http://www.rgl.net/states/Texas.aspx. Key provisions of the new disability management rules include:
For questions or more information about the disability management rules, please contact Jane McChesney at 512-804-5003; e-mail Jane.McChesney@tdi.state.tx.us. ### this news release in printer-friendly PDF format For more information contact: Webstaff@tdi.state.tx.us Last updated: 01/18/2007 |