Bill Text: TX SB2211 | 2017-2018 | 85th Legislature | Introduced
Bill Title: Relating to a demonstration program for real-time processing of workers' compensation authorizations of payment for medical services and medical bills.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 2-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2017-05-24 - Co-author authorized [SB2211 Detail]
Download: Texas-2017-SB2211-Introduced.html
| 85R2857 KKR-D | ||
| By: Hancock | S.B. No. 2211 | |
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| relating to a demonstration program for real-time processing of | ||
| workers' compensation authorizations of payment for medical | ||
| services and medical bills. | ||
| BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
| SECTION 1. Subchapter B, Chapter 412, Labor Code, is | ||
| amended by adding Section 412.0129 to read as follows: | ||
| Sec. 412.0129. AUTHORIZATION OF PAYMENT FOR MEDICAL | ||
| SERVICES AND MEDICAL BILLING REAL-TIME PROCESSING DEMONSTRATION | ||
| PROGRAM. (a) The office shall develop and implement a | ||
| demonstration program for processing workers' compensation | ||
| authorizations of payment for medical services and medical bills in | ||
| real-time. | ||
| (b) The demonstration program described by Subsection (a) | ||
| must include: | ||
| (1) a secure single platform, web-based portal for use | ||
| by the office, state agencies, injured employees, and health care | ||
| providers; | ||
| (2) the ability to collect, input, and transmit | ||
| administrative and clinical data, including: | ||
| (A) patient information; | ||
| (B) provider contracts; | ||
| (C) treatment guidelines; and | ||
| (D) other information the office considers | ||
| necessary for processing authorizations and medical bills; | ||
| (3) an automated process to streamline requests for | ||
| authorizations of payment for medical services and peer reviews at | ||
| the point of care; and | ||
| (4) return to work best practices for workers' | ||
| compensation claims, including complex case management. | ||
| (c) The office shall work with the workers' compensation | ||
| research and evaluation group to identify and adopt measures for | ||
| evaluating the demonstration program. | ||
| (d) The evaluation period for the demonstration program | ||
| shall end on June 30, 2020. | ||
| (e) Not later than December 31, 2020, the office shall | ||
| provide to the board a report that: | ||
| (1) evaluates the program, including any effects of | ||
| the program on administrative cost savings; and | ||
| (2) recommends whether to use the process implemented | ||
| under the program on a permanent basis. | ||
| (f) If the report of the demonstration program under | ||
| Subsection (e) indicates that administrative cost savings are | ||
| achieved by the process implemented under the program, the board | ||
| may adopt and use the process on a permanent basis. | ||
| (g) This section expires September 1, 2021. | ||
| SECTION 2. (a) Not later than January 1, 2018, the State | ||
| Office of Risk Management shall begin developing the demonstration | ||
| program under Section 412.0129, Labor Code, as added by this Act. | ||
| (b) Not later than January 1, 2019, the State Office of Risk | ||
| Management shall fully implement the demonstration program | ||
| developed under Section 412.0129, Labor Code, as added by this Act. | ||
| SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives | ||
| a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as | ||
| provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this | ||
| Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this | ||
| Act takes effect September 1, 2017. | ||
