Bill Text: TX HB233 | 2017 | 85th Legislature 1st Special Session | Introduced


Bill Title: Relating to medical causation narrative reports created under the Texas Workers' Compensation Act.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2017-07-20 - Referred to Business & Industry [HB233 Detail]

Download: Texas-2017-HB233-Introduced.html
 
 
  By: Collier H.B. No. 233
 
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
 
 
  relating to medical causation narrative reports created under the
  Texas Workers' Compensation Act.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Subchapter B, Chapter 408, Labor Code, is
  amended by adding Section 408.0273 to read as follows:
         Sec. 408.0273.  MEDICAL CAUSATION NARRATIVE REPORT. (a) In
  this section, "medical causation narrative report" means an
  original report created by a doctor that explains a causal
  connection, if any, between a compensable workplace injury and the
  diagnoses or conditions specified in the insurance carrier's plain
  language notice disputing the extent of the injured employee's
  compensable injury.
         (b)  On receipt of a plain language notice from the insurance
  carrier disputing the extent of an injured employee's compensable
  injury, if the employee does not agree with the statements in the
  plain language notice, the injured employee may request a medical
  causation narrative report addressing the extent of the employee's
  compensable injury from:
               (1)  the treating doctor; or
               (2)  a doctor to whom the treating doctor has
  previously referred the injured employee and who has treated the
  injured employee.
         (c)  An insurance carrier is only required to provide
  reimbursement for one medical causation narrative report for each
  plain language notice disputing the extent of the injured
  employee's compensable injury.
         (d)  The commissioner shall adopt rules implementing this
  section to ensure the efficient use of medical causation narrative
  reports and resolution of disputes regarding the extent of an
  injured employee's compensable injury.
         SECTION 2.  The change in law made by this Act applies to a
  medical causation narrative report requested in response to a plain
  language notice disputing the extent of the injured employee's
  compensable injury that is issued on or after the effective date of
  this Act, regardless of whether the compensable injury occurred
  before, on, or after that date.
         SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2017.
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