Insurance Council of Texas Offers Disability Management Training

The Insurance Council of Texas (ICT) announced it has teamed up with the TDI Division of Workers’ Compensation (DWC), American Insurance Association, and Property Casualty Insurers Association of America to provide information about the new disability management process for non-network workers’ compensation claims.

The training will be offered as four half-day seminars on April 19, and April 23.

The registration fee for each seminar is $25. Registration and agenda information is available on ICT’s Web site at www.insurancouncil.org/WorkersComp. ICT has requested and expects to receive 3.75 continuing education credit hours for certified case managers.

“The new disability management process for non-network workers’ compensation claims represents a major change in how claims will be handled and case managed in the Texas workers’ compensation system,” said Steve Nichols, ICT’s manager of workers’ compensation. “The new process will involve the use and application of treatment guidelines, return-to-work guidelines, treatment planning, and case management in an effort to improve return-to-work outcomes in Texas and the quality of health care received by injured workers.”

Nichols said the training would provide registrants with an understanding of the disability management rules and compliance issues associated with the rules. He expected many of those attending would be insurance company utilization review professionals, utilization review agent staff and case managers

The half-day seminars will include presentations by DWC staff on topics that include an overview of the disability management rules, treating planning, the dispute resolution informal review process and the new emphasis in the Texas system on return-to-work.

Catherine Benavidez, president of Injury Management Organization, will follow DWC speakers with a discussion on case management in the disability management process.

Robert “Bob” Graves, an attorney with the Austin law firm of Burns Anderson Jury & Brenner, will follow Benavidez with legal and compliance issues associated with the disability management process.

The seminars will be conducted via teleconference. Registrants will be provided with information on how to access the teleconference line and training presentations prior to the date of the training event.

Source: ICT