The Texas Department of Insurance, Division of Workers’ Compensation adopted its final rule on December 29, 2006 establishing the state-wide adoption of return-to-work guidelines; the DWC selected Reed Group’s The Medical Disability Advisor: Workplace Guidelines for Disability Duration, Fifth Edition, by Presley Reed, MD. This rule establishes that beginning May 1, 2007, health care providers will be required to use The Medical Disability Advisor return-to-work guidelines (MDA) when providing non-network health care to injured or ill employees in the workers’ compensation system. Serving one of the nation’s largest workers’ compensation markets, the adoption of the MDA guidelines for Texas will optimize return-to-work outcomes for employees in a medically appropriate timeframe.

As described in the Adopted Rules http://www.tdi.state.tx.us/wc/rules/adopted/dmaorder1206.html, the Division made the following comments about the MDA guidelines:

The guidelines are benchmarks to facilitate communication between system participants and to formulate return-to-work plans. The benchmarks establish starting points, which may be adjusted based on the specific circumstances of the claim. The Division agrees that the return-to-work guidelines are not directly designed to reduce excessive or inappropriate medical care. However, early and appropriate return-to-work directly impacts the need for, and types of, medical care provided to injured employees. Ultimately, this early intervention impacts system costs. As previously stated, these guidelines are a tool to develop return-to-work plans and set benchmarks. They provide the foundation for implementation of Section 413.021(b) of the Labor Code, which include job analysis, job modification and restructuring assessments.

To obtain additional information on the MDA return-to-work guidelines in Texas, visit http://www.rgl.net/states/Texas.aspx. In addition to the English version of the MDA guidelines, Reed Group also offers the MDA in Spanish via Internet access.

About Reed Group, Ltd.
Reed Group’s primary goal is to maintain and increase the quality of information, services and products designed for healthy return-to-work results. This is accomplished through four lines of business: Guidelines, Service, Data Analytics, and Education. Reed Group publishes the industry standard disability guidelines, The Medical Disability Advisor, now in its Fifth Edition (3400 pages, 2-volume printed set), Windows software, and an Internet version, along with licensing the MDA data for software integration). The MDA guidelines are an integral tool to workers’ compensation programs that produce measurable results in both reduction of claim duration and cost per claim. Reed Group is also a leading provider of integrated clinical disability management services for non-occupational and occupational leaves, advice-to-pay services, and Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) administration. For more information on Reed Group, please call 866.889.4449 or visit www.reedgroup.com.

Source: Reed Group, Ltd.

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