On April 15th, Healthesystems attended the Texas Division of Workers’ Compensation (DWC) quarterly Health Care Provider and Insurance Carrier meeting, where the agency shared updates on legislative planning and agency priorities.

During the meeting, DWC explained that it is preparing for the next legislative session and is requesting stakeholders submit legislative recommendations. Submissions should be emailed to DWCExternalRelations@tdi.texas.gov by May 14th and should be specific, supported by data, and include relevant background or context. The DWC noted that a formal request for input will be issued in the coming weeks.

The DWC also shared that it has reviewed the recently released Interim Charges, which outline the issues Texas lawmakers will study between legislative sessions. While workers’ comp was not included among the charges, the DWC noted that several topics under review could indirectly impact the workers’ comp system, including fraud prevention, insurance market oversight, access to healthcare providers, and the use of AI.

In addition, the DWC has completed a multi-year study evaluating whether Texas should replace the AMA Guides to the Evaluation of Permanent Impairment, 4th Edition (1993) with the 6th Edition (2024). The DWC emphasized that any potential transition would require significant operational and system level changes and would extend beyond a simple rule update. Additional information and opportunities for stakeholder input will be shared in the coming months.