July 2002 MedBytes: Workers' Compensation



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If you're looking for information on workers' compensation, you can find a wealth of information on the Internet. Several sites are available, and much of the same information can be found on more than one site. Here are the top three.

Texas Workers' Compensation Commission
Of course, the first place to go is the Texas Workers' Compensation Commission (TWCC) site at http://www.tdi.state.tx.us/wc/indexwc.html. It includes information on the Workers' Compensation Act, TWCC rules and services, administrative decisions, benefits, the rights of injured workers and employers, dispute resolution, and physicians removed from the Approved Doctor List. Also available are various forms that can be downloaded in PDF, Word Perfect 5.1, Microsoft Word, or Corel Word Perfect 8 formats. The forms available include Request for Copies of Confidential Claimant Information, Request for Records Check, and Prospective Employment Authorization and Certification. However, once they are filled out, the forms must be mailed or hand-delivered to the commission. They cannot be filed electronically.

Research and Oversight Council on Workers' Compensation
The Research and Oversight Council on Workers' Compensation is a state agency created to support the development of an effective and efficient workers' comp system. It does this by conducting research studies and making recommendations to policymakers and others. Its site offers reviews of workers' compensation legislation, summaries of reports with an online order form, an index of its quarterly report, Texas Monitor , and a directory of workers' comp resources.

WorkersCompensation.com
Calling itself the No. 1 workers' compensation referral and information network, WorkersCompensation.com at www.workerscompensation.com (where else would it be?) provides a state-by-state breakdown of information. Just click on the map of Texas and you'll go directly to "The Lone Star State" page where you'll find links to news and legislative updates, state laws and regulations, TWCC forms and rules, medical fee guidelines, and a schedule and calendar of events. There is specific information for physicians, employees, employers, adjusters, and attorneys.

On the TMA Web Site
Want to use the Web to find reliable medical information? On the TMA Web site , you can access MD Consult's and Ebsco Publishing's clinical and health business databases. Up-to-date full-text clinical and health business journal articles, textbooks, and other resources are available. Members who use the online resources will be able to perform their own literature searches at any time of day and in many cases will be able to print full-text excerpts from textbooks and journals. The TMA Library is offering free access to the resources as a members-only benefit. Throughout 2002, TMA members can try out MD Consult and Ebsco for free. The pilot study is part of the development of "TMA Library of the Future."

MedBytes is a quick look at new, or newly discovered, Web sites of interest to Texas physicians. The column also highlights features of the TMA Web site at www.texmed.org. If you know of some cool medical sites or have questions about how to use the TMA Web site, email  Erin Prather. Publication of information about Web sites in this column is not to be considered an endorsement or approval by the Texas Medical Association of the sites or sponsors, or of any products or services involved.

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