BILL ANALYSIS

Senate Research Center	H.B. 1753
87R9509 JSC-F	By: Oliverson (Schwertner)
	Business & Commerce
	5/14/2021
	Engrossed

AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT

The workers' compensation research and evaluation group must annually produce a report card on workers' compensation health care networks operating under the state's workers' compensation system even though the results rarely change significantly year-over-year. In addition, there are certain reporting requirements regarding that system that are duplicative, unnecessary, and costly from an administrative standpoint.

H.B. 1753 seeks to address these issues by changing the frequency with which the report cards are issued to biennially and repealing those reporting requirements.

H.B. 1753 amends current law relating to certain required reports under the Texas workers' compensation system.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

This bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, institution, or agency.

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1. Amends Section 1305.502(a), Insurance Code, as follows:

(a) Requires the workers' compensation research and evaluation group (group), not later than December 1 of each even-numbered year, to develop and issue an informational report card that identifies and compares, on an objective basis, the quality, costs, health care provider availability, and other analogous factors of workers' compensation health care networks operating under the workers' compensation system of this state with each other and with medical care provided outside of networks. Makes conforming and nonsubstantive changes.

SECTION 2. Amends Sections 504.053(c) and (d), Labor Code, as follows:

(c) Provides that if a political subdivision or pool provides medical benefits in the manner authorized under Subsection (b)(2) (relating to the requirement that a certain report card include a risk-adjusted evaluation of return-to-work outcomes), the following do not apply:

(1) - (3) makes no changes to these subdivisions; and

(4) Chapter 1305 (Workers' Compensation Health Care Networks), Insurance Code, except for Sections 1305.502 (Consumer Report Cards) and 1305.503 (Confidentiality Requirements), rather than except for Sections 1305.501 (Evaluation of Networks), 1305.502, and 1305.503.

(d) Makes a conforming change to this subsection.

SECTION 3. Repealer: Section 1305.501 (Evaluation of Networks), Insurance Code;

Repealer: Section 2053.012 (Report on Legislative Reforms Required), Insurance Code.

Repealers: Sections 405.0025(b) (relating to requiring the group to objectively evaluate the impact of certain workers' compensation health care networks and report findings to certain state officials) and (c) (relating to the minimum required subjects on which the report is required to evaluate the impact of workers' compensation health care networks), Labor Code.

SECTION 4. Effective date: upon passage or September 1, 2021.