TWCC PENALIZES CARRIERS:

The Texas Workers’ Compensation Commission (TWCC) issued 62 Notices of Violation (NOVs) to insurance carriers on Nov. 9, 2004, for a total of $155,500 in penalties for late initial payments of Temporary Income Benefits (TIBs) to injured workers. The Commission also issued 45 NOVs to insurance carriers for a total of $7,626 in penalties for inaccurate reporting of electronic data. Both types of violations resulted from audits of initial TIBs payments electronically reported by the carriers during the four-week period of June 1 to June 30, 2004. The NOVs are part of a new enforcement strategy to ensure the prompt and timely initiation of income benefits to injured workers.