Texas Commissioner Signs First HB 7 Rules

Texas Workers' Compensation Commissioner Albert Betts last week signed the first rules to be adopted to implement provisions of House Bill 7, the reform measure signed into law on June 1. Betts announced Friday that he signed emergency rules that address timeframes for medical billing, medical billing audits and preauthorization for medical care. The final version of the regulations represented a victory for physical and occupational therapists: Professionals in the field had been lobbying the DWC to waive the preauthorization requirement for the first two visits, and Betts granted their wis...