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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to medical causation narrative reports created under the |
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Texas Workers' Compensation Act. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Subchapter B, Chapter 408, Labor Code, is |
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amended by adding Section 408.0273 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 408.0273. MEDICAL CAUSATION NARRATIVE REPORT. (a) In |
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this section, "medical causation narrative report" means an |
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original report created by a doctor that explains a causal |
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connection between a workplace accident and a diagnosed injury. |
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(b) If an insurance carrier disputes the extent of an |
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employee's compensable injury or if an injured employee does not |
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agree with the opinion of a designated doctor under Section |
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408.0041 on that issue, the insurance carrier shall reimburse the |
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treating doctor or doctor to whom the injured employee is referred |
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by the treating doctor for the creation of a medical causation |
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narrative report addressing that issue, regardless of whether the |
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injured employee, a representative of the injured employee, or the |
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insurance carrier requests the creation of the report. |
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SECTION 2. The change in law made by this Act applies to a |
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medical causation narrative report requested on or after the |
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effective date of this Act, regardless of whether the compensable |
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injury occurred before, on, or after that date. |
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SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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Act takes effect September 1, 2017. |