Report shows lower satisfaction with comp treatment networks

A Texas Division of Workers’ Compensation report on medical treatment provided to injured workers through health care networks revealed “slightly lower overall satisfaction with care, slightly lower perceptions about access to care compared with general health, and a lower percentage of injured employees receiving pharmacy services for network and non-network claims.”

Still, the division said network claims generally have better return-to-work outcomes compared with non-network claims. “Overall, the 2021 network report card continues to show that networks tend to be more cost-efficient than non-network claims, and these cost differences appear to be partially driven by lower hospital utilization and lower prices per service,” the division said.

At the same time, injured workers treated within a network tend to receive nonemergency care more quickly, which could help control medical costs and reduce overall disability, the report states.

There were 30 networks covering 254 counties that are certified to provide work comp health care services, according to the division. Twenty-four certified networks actively treated injured workers as of May 31.

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