Texas Workers’ Compensation Network Expansions Approved

Texas Mutual Insurance Company and Concentra announced that the Texas Department of Insurance has approved the expansion of Texas Mutual’s Texas Star Network and Concentra’s Health Care Network (HCN).

Texas Mutual said that with the expansion, its network is now available to approximately 85 percent of the company’s policyholders. Texas Mutual will begin to offer the workers’ compensation health care network option to policyholders in the additional areas in the next few weeks.

The Concentra HCN is a statewide network of providers consisting of Concentra’s medical centers as well as many other primary care providers, specialists, and hospitals. As a result of this service area expansion, the company said Concentra’s HCN is now available in the areas of Dallas/Fort Worth, Austin, San Antonio, Houston, Lubbock, Amarillo, Corpus Christi, South Texas, and parts of East and Central Texas. The combined service area includes 149 counties representing 92 percent of the Texas workforce.

Texas Mutual partnered with Concentra to launch its Texas Star workers’ compensation health care network option last spring. It was the first network approved by TDI. The network’s goal is to improve the quality of care for injured workers and control medical costs.

The Concentra HCN was originally certified in April 2006.

There are currently five workers’ compensation health care networks authorized by TDI: Concentra HCN; Corvel Healthcare Corporation/Corcare; First Health TX HCN; Memorial Hermann Health Network Providers Inc./Worklink; and Texas Star Network/Concentra. For more information about Texas workers’ compensation networks visit the TDI/DWC Web site at www.tdi.state.tx.us/wc/wcnet/wcnetworks.html.