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As the DWC continues
to see the number of designated doctors dwindling (there are now less than 300
on the list and only 65 of those are MDs), the agency has posted proposed
changes to various DWC rules dealing with the designated doctor program
including billing and reimbursement for designated doctor, RME and MMI/IR
examinations performed by treating and referral doctors. The first
informal proposal to the billing rules details changes to the methods for
billing – so no information is available regarding changes to the actual rates
charged for these examinations, which begs the question – will the
reimbursement rate increase enough to entice medical doctors to return to the
fold?
DWC will offer a virtual DD Billing and Reimbursement Rule Stakeholder Meeting
Thursday, September 8, 2022.
For more information: https://www.tdi.texas.gov/alert/event/2022/09/dwc0908.html.
At a recent conference, Division staff addressed an increasing problem in
finding qualified doctors to perform examinations for more complex injuries and
offered as a potential solution the plan to open up the qualification standards
to include all board certifications for those examinations requiring a
specialization and allowing the Division more discretion in appointing doctors
without specialization in those geographical regions where qualified doctors
are not currently on the list.
The Division focus certainly appears to be more on process and procedure rather
than addressing the more systemic problems of quality, quantity and oversight
of the remaining doctors on the list. For now, the Division appears to be
streamlining and reducing the amount of training, the frequency of testing and
the certification process in efforts to make being a designated doctor less
administratively burdensome for doctors.
Designated doctors and their administrators will, however, be required to use
the Division’s own TXCOMP system to accept and manage appointments AND file
their reports online beginning 9/19/22. The Division will be training
doctors in the use of the system. Apparently, RME doctors will also see pending
RME appointments in their TXCOMP profile and enter basic information to upload
their reports as well.
Copyright 2022, Stone Loughlin & Swanson, LLP