Section 140.8 - Procedures for Health Care Insurers to Pursue Reimbursement of Medical Benefits under Labor Code Section 409.0091(a) Applicability. This section applies only to subclaims by a health care insurer based on information received under Labor Code § 402.084(c-3).(b) Health care insurer. "Health care insurer" means an insurance carrier and an authorized representative of an insurance carrier, as described by Labor Code § 402.084(c-1).(c) Request to Workers' Compensation Insurance Carrier. A health care insurer seeking reimbursement must first file a reimbursement request with the workers' compensation insurance carrier. (1) Form. The request must be in the form/format and manner prescribed by the Division of Workers' Compensation (Division) and must contain all the required elements listed on the form.(2) Notice. The health care insurer must give notice of the request to the injured employee and the health care provider that performed the services that are the subject of the reimbursement request. The notice shall include a copy of the reimbursement request and an explanation that the health care insurer is seeking reimbursement for medical care costs.(d) Deadlines for Response to Reimbursement Request to the Workers' Compensation Insurance Carrier. (1) 90 Day Response Deadline. The workers' compensation insurance carrier must respond to a reimbursement request under this section by either paying, reducing, or denying payment in writing not later than the 90th day after the date the reimbursement request was first received, unless additional information is requested, pursuant to paragraph (2) of this subsection.(2) Request for Additional Information. The workers' compensation insurance carrier may request additional information from the health care insurer if there is not sufficient information to substantiate the claim. The health care insurer has 30 days after receiving the request for more information to provide the information requested to the workers' compensation insurance carrier. Any request for additional information shall be in writing, be relevant and necessary for the resolution of the request. A workers' compensation insurance carrier shall not be penalized, including not being held responsible for costs of obtaining the additional information, if the workers' compensation insurance carrier denies payment in order to move to dispute resolution to obtain additional information to process the request. It is the health care insurer's obligation to furnish its authorized representatives with any information necessary for the resolution of a reimbursement request. The Division considers any medical billing information or documentation possessed by the health care insurer or one of its authorized representatives to be simultaneously possessed by the health care insurer and all of its authorized representatives.(3) 120 Day Response Deadline. If the workers' compensation insurance carrier has requested additional information from the health care insurer pursuant to paragraph (2) of this subsection, the workers' compensation insurance carrier must respond in writing to the health care insurer's reimbursement request not later than the 120th day after the date the reimbursement request was first received, unless otherwise provided by mutual agreement.(e) Response to a Reimbursement Request. The workers' compensation insurance carrier must respond to a reimbursement request by either paying, reducing or denying payment. (1) Paying or Reducing Payment. (A) The workers' compensation insurance carrier shall pay the health care insurer the lesser of: (i) the amount payable under the applicable Division fee guideline as of the date of service; or(ii) the actual amount paid by the health care insurer.(B) If No Fee Guideline. In the absence of a Division fee guideline for a specific service paid, the amount per service paid by the health care insurer shall be considered in determining a fair and reasonable payment pursuant to § 134.1 of this title (relating to Medical Reimbursement).(C) Interest. The health care insurer may not recover interest as a part of the payable amount.(D) Previous Payments. The workers' compensation insurance carrier shall reduce any reimbursable amount by any payments the workers' compensation insurance carrier previously made to the same health care provider for the provision of the same health care on the same dates of service. In making such a reduction in reimbursement, the workers' compensation insurance carrier shall provide evidence of the previous payments made to the health care provider.(E) Notice to Injured Employee and Health Care Provider. The workers' compensation insurance carrier must give notice of its response to the reimbursement request to the injured employee and the health care provider that performed the services that are the subject of the reimbursement request. If the claim is compensable, the notice shall include an explanation that the claim is compensable and that the health care provider must reimburse the injured employee for any amounts paid to the health care provider by the injured employee.(F) The health care provider may submit a reimbursement request to the workers' compensation insurance carrier for any money owed under Division fee guidelines for the medical services rendered on a compensable claim and is entitled to dispute resolution under § 133.307 of this title (relating to MDR of Fee Disputes). The workers' compensation insurance carrier is liable for full payment in accordance with Division fee guidelines and applicable rules for the medical services rendered on a compensable claim.(2) Explanation of Benefits. The workers' compensation insurance carrier must provide the health care insurer, all health care providers, and the injured employee an explanation of benefits (EOB) in the form and manner prescribed by the Division. The EOB must provide sufficient explanation regarding the basis for a denial of the reimbursement request.(f) Reimbursement of Injured Employee. If the injured employee's medical care costs are reimbursable under Title 5 of the Labor Code, a health care provider must refund to the injured employee any payments made by the injured employee to the health care provider, including but not limited to, copays and deductibles. Reimbursement must be made within 45 days of receipt of the notice that the claim is compensable.(g) Filing Notice of Subclaimant Status. (1) 120 Day Deadline. A health care insurer must file a written notice of subclaimant status with the Division not later than the 120th day after a workers' compensation insurance carrier fails to respond to a health care insurer's reimbursement request or reduces or denies the requested reimbursement amount.(2) Location for Filing Notice. The notice may be filed with the Division of Workers' Compensation at any local Division field office or at the Division's central office in Austin, Texas.(3) One Injured Employee Per Notice. A health care insurer must file separate notices for each individual injured employee in which the health care insurer seeks subclaimant status.(4) One Notice Per Injured Employee Date of Injury. If an individual injured employee has multiple claims based on different dates of injury, the health care insurer must file a separate notice for each date of injury for which medical benefits were provided.(5) Form. The notice of subclaimant status must be in the form and manner prescribed by the Division.(h) Request for Dispute Resolution. The rules applicable to dispute resolution vary according to the reason for denial of reimbursement. Disputes regarding extent of injury, liability, or medical necessity must be resolved prior to pursuing a medical fee dispute. A request for medical dispute resolution may be filed in lieu of a request for subclaimant status, and shall be considered a request for subclaimant status for purposes of this section.(1) Claim or Treatment Not Compensable.(A) A health care insurer must file a request for a benefit review conference pursuant to § 141.1 of this title (relating to Requesting and Setting a Benefit Review Conference) with the Division not later than the 120th day after a workers' compensation insurance carrier reduces or denies the requested reimbursement amount based on compensability or extent of injury issues.(B) The health care insurer may pursue dispute resolution to obtain an order from an administrative law judge regarding compensability or eligibility for benefits in accordance with Labor Code Chapter 410 and applicable Division rules.(C) A subclaim dispute based on a denial of reimbursement due to compensability or extent of injury is subject to dispute resolution pursuant to Chapters 140 - 143 of this title (relating to Dispute Resolution).(2) Lack of Medical Necessity. (A) A health care insurer must file a request for medical dispute resolution with the workers' compensation insurance carrier or the insurance carrier's utilization review agent not later than the 120th day after a workers' compensation insurance carrier reduces or denies the requested reimbursement amount due to lack of medical necessity.(B) A medical dispute based on the workers' compensation insurance carrier's denial of a health care insurer's reimbursement request due to lack of medical necessity is subject to dispute resolution pursuant to § 133.308 of this title (relating to MDR of Medical Necessity Disputes).(C) A subclaimant shall follow the independent review process allowed for a non-network health care provider seeking retrospective review of a service under that section, with any modifications specified by this subsection.(D) A request for reconsideration is not required prior to a request for independent review, notwithstanding the requirements for requesting independent review under § 133.308 of this title.(E) A request for independent review may be filed, notwithstanding the timeliness requirements for filing a request for independent review under § 133.308 of this title.(F) Notwithstanding the provisions of § 133.308 of this title, regarding independent review organization requests for additional information, if a health care provider is requested to submit records, the health care insurer shall reimburse the health care provider copy expenses for the requested records.(3) Reduction, Denial or Failure to Respond. (A) A health care insurer must file a request for medical dispute resolution with the Division not later than: (i) the 120th day after a workers' compensation insurance carrier fails to respond to a health care insurer's reimbursement request or reduces or denies the requested reimbursement amount for reasons other than lack of medical necessity; or(ii) 60 days after the date the requestor receives the final decision, inclusive of all appeals, on compensability or extent of injury issues raised in accordance with this subsection.(B) A medical dispute based on the workers' compensation insurance carrier's failure to respond to a health care insurer's reimbursement request or the result of a reduction or denial of the requested reimbursement amount for reasons other than those listed in paragraph (1) or (2) of this subsection is subject to medical dispute resolution pursuant to § 133.307 of this title, notwithstanding the definition of medical fee dispute in § 133.305 of this title (relating to MDR--General), and the health care insurer must follow the medical fee dispute resolution process allowed for a health care provider under that section, with any modifications specified by this subsection.(C) Notwithstanding the requirements of § 133.307(c)(2) of this title, a health care insurer shall only be required to include with a request for medical fee dispute resolution, a copy of the health care insurer reimbursement request as originally submitted to the workers' compensation insurance carrier, a copy of the EOB relevant to the fee dispute received from the workers' compensation insurance carrier, and sufficient information to substantiate the claim.(D) A request for reconsideration is not required prior to a request for medical fee dispute resolution, notwithstanding the requirements for requesting medical fee dispute resolution under § 133.307 of this title.(E) A request for medical fee dispute resolution may be filed, notwithstanding the timeliness requirements for filing a request for medical fee dispute resolution under § 133.307 of this title.(i) Multiple Entities Seeking Reimbursement for Same Services. If there are multiple entities seeking reimbursement for the same services and dates of services for the same health care insurer for the same injured employee, the following apply:(1) When the workers' compensation insurance carrier obtains a release from the health care insurer indicating that those specific services have been paid in full, no other entity may collect for those specific services.(2) If a dispute remains over the fees to be paid for those specific services, the first in time to file a dispute with the Division is the only subclaimant that has a right to dispute resolution, and reimbursement, for that injured employee's claim and those specific services rendered unless that subclaimant abandons the dispute resolution process prior to a final adjudication of the issues.28 Tex. Admin. Code § 140.8
The provisions of this §140.8 adopted to be effective September 23, 2008, 33 TexReg 8002; Amended by Texas Register, Volume 44, Number 01, January 4, 2019, TexReg 0104, eff. 1/7/2019