NWCDN Members regularly post articles and summary judgements in workers’ compensations law in your state.
Select a state from the dropdown menu below to scroll through the state specific archives for updates and opinions on various workers’ compensation laws in your state.
Contact information for NWCDN members is also located on the state specific links in the event you have additional questions or your company is seeking a workers’ compensation lawyer in your state.
The number of designated
doctors in the state continues to decline, with only 251 doctors (63 MDs, 11
DOs, and 177 DCs) now certified to perform exams, a decrease from the 273
certified doctors a year ago. So last month’s private letter ruling by the
Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts that DD exam charges are now taxable was
especially unwelcome, as it was expected to result in even more DDs jumping
ship.
We are relieved to report that the Comptroller delayed implementation of its
ruling that charges for designated doctor exams are subject to Texas sales and
use tax until after the 2023 legislative session to allow DWC and system
participants to seek a legislative change. Designated doctors are not
currently required to collect tax on charges for exams.
In other news, proposed rule changes and increased fees for DDs and RMEs are on
the agenda for the stakeholder meeting scheduled tomorrow, Thursday, December
1, at 1:30 p.m. A draft revised fee schedule includes proposed increases for
all elements of DD and RME exams, and new fees for missed appointments and
specialists:
https://www.tdi.texas.gov/wc/rules/documents/drddfee1122.pdf
Comments to the proposed changes should be emailed no later than 5:00 p.m. CST
on Friday, December 16, 2022 to RuleComments@tdi.texas.gov with “Chapters 133
and 134 Informal Posting” noted in the subject line. You may also mail or
deliver comments to Legal Services, MC-LS Texas Department of Insurance,
Division of Workers’ Compensation, P.O. Box 12050, Austin, Texas, 78711.
Copyright 2022, Stone Loughlin & Swanson, LLP