TDI Invites Comments on Draft of Workers’ Comp Networks Rules

The Texas Department of Insurance has prepared an informal working draft of rules relating to workers’ compensation health care networks. Sections 10.001 – 10.603 will be proposed to incorporate changes based on HB 7, enacted in the 79th Legislative Session.

Comments are invited on the informal working draft and are due to TDI by 3:00 p.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 16. The working draft is not a formal rule proposal and has not been published in the Texas Register as required by the Administrative Procedure Act. Accordingly, while staff will consider all comments submitted, staff will not treat responses as a formal public comment for the purpose of the Administrative Procedure Act.

Interested parties will have the opportunity to make formal public comment on the proposed rule after official publication in the Texas Register, which staff projects to occur in September 2005. Note also that since this document is a working draft, it may contain notes, formatting inconsistencies, and other irregularities, which might not normally appear in an official publication.

A copy of the working draft rule may be found on the Texas Department of Insurance Web site at www.tdi.state.tx.us by clicking on “Popular Links” and scrolling down to “Rules – Informal Drafts.”

To expedite the process, staff recommends that comments on the working draft rule be sent via e-mail to WCNet@tdi.state.tx.us. Interested parties are encouraged to identify and estimate any costs that they foresee as a result of the rule.