Judges Uphold TWCC’s Removal of Doctors from ADL

The Texas Workers’ Compensation Commission (TWCC) reported that a District Court Judge in Ector County has turned down a request for a temporary injunction from a Odessa-area doctor who was denied admission to TWCC’s Approved Doctor List (ADL). In addition, a U.S. District Judge in Fort Worth has denied a request for a preliminary injunction from an Arlington doctor who was also denied admission to the ADL.

The denial of the Odessa-area doctor’s application to be admitted to the ADL resulted from a review of the doctor’s past treatment practices, said Dr. William Nemeth, Medical Director for the Commission. The Arlington doctor’s denial was based on an order issued by the Texas Board of Medical Examiners.

In order to be included on the ADL, doctors must complete educational training about workers’ compensation and meet licensure and credentialing criteria as outlined in Commission rules. Doctors also may be screened by a Medical Quality Review Panel composed of about 50 doctors from around the state, Nemeth said. Criteria used to select doctors for review include utilization of medical services and return-to-work outcomes.

Injured workers in the workers’ compensation system must select doctors from the ADL to treat their injuries. As of June 30, 2004, about 17,000 doctors in Texas were listed on the ADL.