REG authority
Per Chapter 405 of the Texas Labor Code, the Workers' Compensation Research and Evaluation Group (REG) is responsible for conducting professional studies and research on various system issues, including:
- the delivery of benefits;
- litigation and controversy related to workers' compensation;
- insurance rates and ratemaking procedures;
- rehabilitation and reemployment of injured employees;
- the quality and cost of medical benefits;
- employer participation in the workers' compensation system;
- employment health and safety issues; and
- other matters relevant to the cost, quality, and operational effectiveness of the workers' compensation system.
Per Sec. 1305.502 of the Texas Insurance Code not later than December 1 of each even-numbered year, the group shall 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.
The report card must include a risk-adjusted evaluation of:
- employee access to care;
- return-to-work outcomes;
- health-related outcomes;
- employee satisfaction with care; and
- health care costs and utilization of health care.