By Solomons H.B. No. 2506 Substitute the following for H.B. No. 2506: By Solomons C.S.H.B. No. 2506 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1-1 AN ACT 1-2 relating to the establishment of a pilot program regarding 1-3 ancillary medical benefits under the workers' compensation system. 1-4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: 1-5 SECTION 1. Subchapter B, Chapter 408, Labor Code, is amended 1-6 by adding Section 408.029 to read as follows: 1-7 Sec. 408.029. ANCILLARY MEDICAL SERVICES. (a) The Research 1-8 and Oversight Council on Workers' Compensation shall conduct a 1-9 pilot program to permit employers to identify ancillary medical 1-10 service providers based on the recommendations and directions of 1-11 the employee's treating doctor. The council shall appoint an 1-12 advisory group to direct the pilot. 1-13 (b) The pilot program must include up to four employers 1-14 selected from each of the following categories: 1-15 (1) the state; 1-16 (2) political subdivisions of the state; 1-17 (3) commercially insured employers with premiums of at 1-18 least $250,000 annually; 1-19 (4) certified self-insured employers. 1-20 (c) The council shall include the results of the review of 1-21 the pilot program in the council's biennial report filed under 1-22 Section 404.007 not later than December 31, 2000. 1-23 (d) An employee of an employer participating in the pilot 1-24 program shall receive all ancillary medical services identified by 2-1 the employer or the employer's designee if the service can be 2-2 provided within a reasonable travel distance. 2-3 (e) Ancillary medical services in addition to the health 2-4 care to which an employee is entitled under Section 408.021 include 2-5 the following services: 2-6 (1) all physical and occupational therapy; 2-7 (2) work hardening and work conditioning; 2-8 (3) pain management, biofeedback, psychological 2-9 counseling by other than a physician, functional capacity 2-10 evaluations; 2-11 (4) diagnostics, imaging, and testing excluding plain 2-12 film x-rays; 2-13 (5) home health services; and 2-14 (6) durable medical equipment. 2-15 SECTION 2. (a) This Act takes effect September 1, 1999. 2-16 (b) The change in law made by this Act applies only to a 2-17 claim for workers' compensation benefits filed with the Texas 2-18 Workers' Compensation Commission on or after the effective date of 2-19 this Act. A claim filed before the effective date of this Act is 2-20 governed by the law in effect on the date the claim was filed, and 2-21 the former law is continued in effect for that purpose. 2-22 SECTION 3. The importance of this legislation and the 2-23 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an 2-24 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the 2-25 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several 2-26 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.