Texas Publishes 3rd Annual Workers’ Comp Network Report Card

The Texas Department of Insurance (TDI) Workers’ Compensation Research and Evaluation Group has published an annual report card on the performance of Workers’ Compensation Health Care Networks as required by House Bill (HB) 7 (79th Legislature, Regular Session, 2005).

The report card is the third to be published since the initial networks were certified by TDI in early 2006. Contained in the report card is a comparison of network and non-network claims on a variety of measures, including: health care costs; utilization of care; satisfaction with care; access to care; return-to-work outcomes; and health outcomes.

Data used to measure performance of the networks includes: Workers’ compensation medical billing data collected by TDI; results of an injured worker survey conducted by the University of North Texas, Survey Research Center; and results from a February data call issued by TDI to 34 networks. Currently, certified Workers’ Compensation Health Care Networks offer services in 234 Texas counties.

The study found that, overall, networks had higher average medical costs than non-networks. They also tended to have higher utilization of professional services and pharmaceuticals than non-networks. However, networks generally had lower utilization of hospital services than non-networks.

Additionally, the study found that, overall, with some exceptions, non-network injured workers reported higher levels of access to, and satisfaction with, care.

Generally, network injured workers reported higher return-to-work rates than non-network injured workers.

The network report card is posted on the agency Web site at: http://www.tdi.state.tx.us/reports/report9.html. Information on the networks certified by TDI, their service areas and their contact information can be found at http://www.tdi.state.tx.us/wc/wcnet/index.html.

Source: Texas Department of Insurance

Topics Texas Workers' Compensation