Senate Select Interim Committee on Workers' Compensation
NOTE: This is archived committee information from the 78th Legislative Session.
Committee Information
CHAIR
Todd Staples
MEMBERS
John Carona
Robert Duncan
Craig Estes
Juan "Chuy" Hinojosa
Kyle Janek
Frank L. Madla
Jane Nelson
Royce West
CLERK:
Patricia Gajda
TEL:
(512) 463-0067
Written Testimony Submissions and Handouts
October 12, 2004
August 26, 2004
- Presentation of Texas Department of Insurance (File 1, File 2)
- Testimony of Bubba Klostermann
- Testimony of ONECOMP
- Testimony of WorkSteps/OneComp:
- Larry Feeler of WorkSTEPS, Inc. Letter to Assemblyman Ray Haynes, 66th District, California
- Executive Summary of Recommendations For Workers' Compensation Reform In the State of California
- Peter K. Gallaher of ONECOMP Letter to Assemblyman Ray Haynes, 66th District, California
- NonSubscription Vs. Workers' Compensation
- Testimony of TWCC:
- Opening Comments
- Distribution by Number of Claimants Treated for Doctors Billing
- Map of Number of Doctors Approved to Treat by Area
- Medical Quality Review of Health Care Providers, July 2004
- Medical Quality Review of Health Care Providers, August 2004
- Testimony of Joe Hurt, Association of Drilling Contractors
April 29, 2004
- Testimony provided by Amy Lee, Team Leader, Workers' Compensation Research Workgroup, Texas Department of Insurance
- Testimony of the Foundation for Chiropractic Education, submitted by the Director of Research and Education
- Testimony provided by Stan Younger, General Manager of the San Antonio Citation Service Center
- Testimony of the First Health Group Corp., submitted by Tiffany Moore, Director of First Health's Irving, Texas office
- Testimony of the Workers Compensation Research Institute, submitted by Richard A. Victor, J.D., Ph.D., Executive Director
- Testimony submitted by OMNI Health Systems, Inc.
- Testimony provided by the Texas Ambulatory Surgery Center Society
- Testimony provided by O'Reilly Auto Parts
- Testimony provided by Jay Dhingra, Vice President HCA North Texas Division
- Testimony provided by Dubravka Romano, Associate Executive Director, Risk Management Services, Texas Association of School Boards
- Testimony provided by Tim Ahern, Vice President, DFW Hub, American Airlines
- Testimony provided by Ms. Christine Coakley, Regulatory & Legislative Analyst, The Boeing Company
- Testimony provided by the Workers Compensation Research Institute
- Testimony provided by Marvin Townsend, Executive Director, Texas Municipal League Intergovernmental Risk Pool
- Testimony provided by the Texas Workers' Compensation Commission
- Testimony provided by C.M. Schade MD, PhD, President of Patient Advocates of Texas
March 25, 2004
Submitted Written Testimony
- Medical Cost Trends in the Texas Workers' Compensation System, submitted by Ms. Amy Lee, Team Leader, Workers' Compensation Research Workgroup, Texas Department of Insurance
- Comparison of State Workers' Compensation Systems, submitted by Ms. Amy Lee, Team Leader, Workers' Compensation Research Workgroup, Texas Department of Insurance
- Department of Assistive and Rehabilitative Services Presentation, submitted by Commissioner Terry Murphy
(No oral testimony provided) - Testimony provided by Bubba Klostermann OT, CVE, CEAS, Occupational Therapist and President of WORK & REHAB
- Testimony provided by Mary Leary Hennigan MOT, MBA, OTR, Executive Director of the Texas Occupational Therapy Association
- Testimony submitted by Liberty Mutual Group
- Testimony submitted by Mr. Greg Garland, President of the Texas Association of Accredited Pain Programs (TAAPP)
- Testimony submitted by Margaret Wise, OTR, CHT, CVE. CCM, Licensed Occupational Therapist
- Testimony of the Texas AFL-CIO on the State of Workers Compensation in Texas, submitted by Richard Levy, Texas AFL-CIO Legal Director
- Testimony submitted by Cheryl Johnson, Executive Director of Risk Management, Dallas Independent School District
- Recommendations for Reform submitted by Tom Douglas, M.D.
- Statement of CM Schade, MD, PhD, Fix TWCC Founding Member
- Statement of Michael F. Caruso, Ed.D., Psychologist
- Information about 'Fix TWCC', A Coalition of Patients, Workers, Business Leaders & Physicians Working to Reform the Texas Workers Compensation System
- Testimony provided by The State Office of Risk Management
- 2004 Survey of Texas Physicians, submitted by the Texas Medical Association
- Analysis of the Available Data on Workers' Compensation System Performance, submitted by the Texas Medical Association
- Testimony provided by Russell R. Oliver, President, Texas Mutual Insurance Company
- Testimony provided by Franz Klein, D.C., President Elect, Texas Chiropractic Association
- Comparison of Workers' Compensation Costs: Hyatt Hotels Texas - Virginia - Georgia, submitted by J'Don Bollom, Hyatt Regency Hotels of Texas Wellness Manager
Texas Department of Insurance presentations on group health insurance cost containment and workers' compensation fraud
(TDI did not provide oral testimony)
- TDI-Regulated Health Insurance Systems
- Frequently Used Cost Containment Features in Health Insurance
- Independent Review Organizations
- Texas Department of Insurance Fraud Unit
Additional Information
- 2004 TxDOT Medical Cost Containment Contract Services and Payments, submitted by the Texas Department of Transportation
(Follow-up to the February 26th Senate Select Interim Committee on Workers' Compensation hearing) - Letter to Senator Jane Nelson regarding how many claimants saw a doctor participating in a Preferred Provider Network Organization, submitted by the University of Texas System Office of Risk Management
- Letter to Senator Todd Staples regarding questions that were raised during the February 26th hearing, submitted by the University of Texas System Office of Risk Management
- Medical cost containment services and the state budget's funding of WCI losses for Texas A&M system employees, submitted by Kevin P. McGinnis, Director of the Office of the Treasurer, Texas A&M System
February 26, 2004
Committee Charge #1:
- Documents submitted by the Health Care Network Advisory Committee (HNAC):
- Background Summary
- Healthcare Network Advisory Committee Proposed Timeline
- Research and Oversight Council on Workers' Compensation Recommendations
- Texas Workers' Compensation Commission Comments on HB 3589 as Filed
- Texas Insurance Code Article 3.70-3C and Workers' Compensation Requirements: Potential Areas of Conflict
Committee Charge #6:
- Comparison of State Workers' Compensation Programs, Preliminary Results, submitted by Texas Department of Insurance, Workers' Compensation Research Group
- Presentation to the Senate Select Committee on Workers' Compensation, submitted by the State Office of Risk Management (SORM)
- TxDOT Workers' Compensation and Risk Management Programs, submitted by Edwin M. Sims, Division Director, Occupational Safety, Texas Department of Transportation
- U.T. System Workers' Compensation Insurance and Risk Management Programs, submitted by Phillip B. Dendy, Director, Office of Risk Management, The University of Texas System
- The Texas A&M University System Office of Risk Management and Safety Operations Overview, submitted by Kevin P. McGinnis, Director of Risk Management, Texas A&M University System
Interim Charges
- Examine the status of the Health Care Network Advisory Committee's (HNAC) and the Texas Workers' Compensation Commission's implementation of the regional workers' compensation health care delivery networks outlined in Article 2 of HB 2600 (77th Legislature, 2001).
- Study the potential impact of networks on the workers' compensation health care delivery system. Include in the study:
- Quality of care;
- Network adequacy and access to care;
- Disclosure of information to patients, complaint procedures, appeal rights and overall patient satisfaction;
- Costs of care;
- Provider credentialing, selection and dispute resolution;
- Financial risks to providers, employers and carriers;
- Effects of networks on the Texas Workers' Compensation Commission; and
- Quality monitoring systems such as independent report cards.
- Study the impact of the Texas Workers' Compensation Commission's 2002 Medical Fee Guideline on access to quality medical care for injured workers and medical costs, including recommendations on whether the legislature should statutorily prescribe a methodology for calculating the workers' compensation conversion factor.
- Survey the costs and benefits of other health system cost-containment strategies as they relate to medical, therapeutic, and pharmaceutical care, including but not limited to, doctor selection, deductibles, co-payments, preauthorization of services, and return-to-work programs.
- Conduct a cost-benefit analysis, to the extent possible, comparing the Texas workers' compensation system to systems operating in other states. Make recommendations to improve the quality of care for injured workers, reduce fraud and inefficiencies, reduce overall claim costs, and streamline the administration of the system. Recommendations should address data exchange, advisory groups and review panels, dispute resolution, enforcement issues, paperwork reduction, and billing and administrative efficiencies.
- Study the efficiency and effectiveness of the state's workers' compensation system including a comparison of the medical and indemnity costs associated with the Texas A&M University system, the University of Texas system, the Texas Department of Transportation and the State Office of Risk Management. Evaluate the potential costs and benefits associated with state agency participation in workers' compensation networks.
