Texas DWC to Host Vendor Demonstrations for Work Comp Participants

The Texas Department of Insurance, Division of Workers’ Compensation reported it will host eight, two-hour vendor demonstrations on the use of vendor treatment and return-to-work guidelines for disability management in the Texas workers’ compensation system on March 22-23, 2007, and on March 29-30, 2007.

The demonstrations are free for all workers’ compensation system participants to assist them in determining their business needs in purchasing the vendor products. Space for the demonstrations is limited, however, and registration is required. Each demonstration will last about two hours and will be held at 9 a.m. and repeated at 2 p.m. on each date.

Four demonstrations (two each day) on Thursday, March 22, 2007 and Friday, March 23, 2007 will feature The Medical Disability Advisor (MDA), Workplace Guidelines for Disability Duration (return-to-work guidelines).

More information about this product is available at: http://www.rgl.net/states/Texas.aspx.

Four demonstrations (two each day) on Thursday, March 29, 2007 and Friday, March 30, 2007 will feature the Official Disability Guidelines (ODG) -Treatment in Workers’ Comp (medical treatment guidelines).

More information about this product is available at: http://www.worklossdata.com/texasform.htm.

The demonstrations will be held in the Tippy Foster Room of the Division’s Metro Center location at 7551 Metro Center Drive, Suite 100 (near the intersection of Highway 71 and Riverside Drive) in Austin.

To register for the MDA demonstration on March 22 or March 23, and/or to register for the ODG demonstration on March 29 or March 30, contact Deborah Cortez by calling 512-804-4610 or e-mailing Deborah.cortez@tdi.state.tx.us.

The disability management rules (28 Texas Administrative Code §§ 137.1, 137.10, 137.100 and 137.300) have established treatment guidelines, treatment planning benchmarks, and return-to-work goals and time frames for the workers’ compensation system. Beginning May 1, 2007, health care providers are required to use these guidelines when providing health care to injured employees in the workers’ compensation system that are not subject to workers’ compensation health care networks.

Source: Texas DWC