By: Watson  S.B. No. 458
         (In the Senate - Filed February 5, 2007; February 21, 2007,
  read first time and referred to Committee on State Affairs;
  March 7, 2007, reported favorably by the following vote:  Yeas 9,
  Nays 0; March 7, 2007, sent to printer.)
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
 
  relating to workers' compensation medical benefits for certain
  prosthetic or orthotic devices.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Section 401.011, Labor Code, is amended by
  amending Subdivision (19) and adding Subdivisions (34-a) and (35-a)
  to read as follows:
               (19)  "Health care" includes all reasonable and
  necessary medical aid, medical examinations, medical treatments,
  medical diagnoses, medical evaluations, and medical services. The
  term does not include vocational rehabilitation. The term
  includes:
                     (A)  medical, surgical, chiropractic, podiatric,
  optometric, dental, nursing, and physical therapy services
  provided by or at the direction of a doctor;
                     (B)  physical rehabilitation services performed
  by a licensed occupational therapist provided by or at the
  direction of a doctor;
                     (C)  psychological services prescribed by a
  doctor;
                     (D)  the services of a hospital or other health
  care facility;
                     (E)  a prescription drug, medicine, or other
  remedy; and
                     (F)  a medical or surgical supply, appliance,
  brace, artificial member, or prosthetic or orthotic device
  [prosthesis], including the fitting of, change or repair to, or
  training in the use of the appliance, brace, member, or device
  [prosthesis].
               (34-a)  "Orthotic device" means a custom-fitted or
  custom-fabricated medical device that is applied to a part of the
  human body to correct a deformity, improve function, or relieve
  symptoms related to a compensable injury or occupational disease.
               (35-a)  "Prosthetic device" means an artificial device
  designed to replace, wholly or partly, an arm or leg.
         SECTION 2.  Subsection (b), Section 1305.004, Insurance
  Code, is amended to read as follows:
         (b)  In this chapter, the following terms have the meanings
  assigned by Section 401.011, Labor Code:
               (1)  "compensable injury";
               (2)  "doctor";
               (3)  "employer";
               (4)  "health care";
               (5)  "health care facility";
               (6)  "health care practitioner";
               (7)  "health care provider";
               (8)  "injury";
               (9)  "insurance carrier"; [and]
               (10)  "orthotic device";
               (11)  "prosthetic device"; and
               (12)  "treating doctor."
         SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2007.
 
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